Ms Mary Kane, Chief Executive Officer, Sister Cities Foundation, an organization founded by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and wife Melinda, to promote sister city relationship between developed nations and Africa, has inaugurated the Sister Cities Global Technology Centre in Accra .

The Technology Centre, which is the first of its kind on the African continent, is part of a three year $7.5 million African Urban Poverty Alleviation programme in 25 selected beneficiary African countries to implement projects in the areas of good sanitation, health and water provision and others.

Speaking at the inauguration on Sunday, Ms Kane said the Centre would help bridge the technological gap between Africa and the advanced world.

“It would help sister cities under the programme store and retrieve information within the system and also help member communities or cities communicate with their counterparts all over the world.”

The technology centre is equipped with video conferencing facilities, mass data storage equipment as well as high speed internet facility.

She said the Centre would also serve as a training centre for assembly members, chief executives and local government officials and also support ICT training of chieftaincy institutions.

Mr Prince Kwame Kludjeson, who head the Technology Centre, said Tamale, Ga East, Ga West and Akuapim South would each receive $115,000 in grants under the Sister Cities programme for developmental purposes.

He said Ms Kane would hold series of meeting with Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, local NGOs and diplomatic partners on how to promote sister cities relationship for the socio-economic development of Ghana.

Mr Elvis Afriyie -Ankrah, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, commended Bill and Melinda Gates for the projects as it would help improve on communication between sister cities.

“The video conferencing more especially would help greatly reduce administrative cost as it would reduce the drudgery of travelling around for conferences and discussions.”