Hohoe district holds first investment fair

Hohoe (Volta Region), Nov. '98 - The Hohoe district assembly at the weekend held its first investment fair, Dezo '98, at Hohoe under the theme of ''Fostering Economic Development Through Investment Promotion''.

The objective of the two-day fair was to showcase the enormous tourism and agricultural potentials of the district for private capital investment.

The highlights of the fair were a photo exhibition, tour of the Wli Waterfalls, Tasi Atome Monkey Sanctuary, and Mountain Afadjato.

Mr Mike Gizo, Minister of Tourism who opened the fair, asked practitioners in the tourism sector to showcase their tourism potentials to attract the requisite expertise and funding.

He said efforts should be made to redirect the country's non-traditional exports to supplement earnings from traditional ones like cocoa, timber and gold.

Mr Gizo noted that the potentials for tourism and economic development could be better exploited if information was made available to a wider group and, therefore, suggested that all district assemblies establish fair grounds with the advice of the Ghana Trade Fair Company.

Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Agbenaza (Rtd), out-going Volta regional minister, in an address read for him, observed that the district is endowed with a wide range of natural resources which remained untapped, resulting in the slow pace of its development.

He asked the assembly to exploit large clay deposits in the district to support the construction industry.

Mr Obed Kissiedu, Hohoe District Chief Executive, in a welcoming address, said the main constraints hindering the rapid development of the district was lack of capital, feasible and co-ordinated plans and drive.

He said it would be suicidal for any district to depend on government allocation of resources for development.

Mr Kissiadu said it is, therefore, necessary for the district to create an enabling environment for development hence the the tourism and investment fair. GRi