Lake Bosomtwi basin to be developed into tourist centre

The Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) has set up a committee involving all stakeholders in the tourism sector to see to an integrated development of the Lake Bosomtwi basin as one-stop tourism centre.

The development plan involved the provision of hospitality services for both local and foreign visitors to the area while a national museum and an eco-tourism park would be built there.

There will be cruising facilities on the lake alongside, water games and other entertainment activities to serve as a holiday resort.

Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister announced the laudable moves on Wednesday in Accra, when he took his turn to explain progress of on going development projects in the region since January 2001, at a press encounter dubbed "Meet the Press".

Mr Boafo's appearance was the last in the series of the ten regional ministers' press encounters, initiated by the Ministry of Information and Presidential Affairs.

He said researchers from Germany, United States of America (USA), Austria, Finland and South Africa have expressed interest in the Lake Bosomtwi Basin.

The Geological Survey Department and the Physics Department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) were collaborating to conduct scientific studies on the lake site, he said.

Mr Boafo said the development and supply of water, electricity and telephone facilities, which required huge capital were the constraints on the project.

He thus asked for support from the central government, local and foreign investors to harness the potentials of the lake.

He said as part of promoting tourism in the region, a Business and Tourism Secretariat (BITS) had been established at the Ashanti Regional RCC to provide data and information to potential investors and tourists.

Mr Boafo spoke on a number of investment moves and said he had made appeals to investors to re-activate the GIHOC Shoe Factory.

He said through the efforts of Ghana's Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Veronica Kuffuor, Messrs Telfin from the Czech had shown interest in the Factory.

He said the company visited the country last March and had consultations with the Regional Minister, the President, the ministers of Finance, Defence, Trade and Industries, Education, Communications and Technology and the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC) on the factory.

He said the DIC had given approval to Telfin to take over the project, at a cost of one million dollars for its assets.

Telfin, he said, intended to employ about 800 workers, who would run two shifts.

The Ashanti Regional Minister said the Kumasi Jute Factory had been divested to a Ghanaian and a foreign partner, and the factory would start production next year.

He announced that an Israeli firm, Messrs Hovey Agricultural Company was joining with a Ghanaian company to undertake a project involving the cultivation and processing of tomatoes and other vegetables at a cost of 16.5 million dollars at Akomadan in the Offinso District with effect from the first quarter of next year.

Mr Boafo said the RCC and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) had managed to open the Kumasi Airport for commercial business and negotiations were underway to get flights from neighboring countries to use the Airport and connect flights from Europe and other parts of the world.