Accra, April 27, GNA - Information Technology (IT) dealers have been asked to avoid dumping obsolete but new-looking communication equipment on the continent as she strives to catch up with the fast changing face of technology.

They are expected to make sure that access to IT and its use are made profitable and of great benefit to the continent. Owuraku Amofa, a Deputy Minister of Communications, said this at the official launch of the preview of the African Telecommunications Exhibition and Conference (AITEC) in Accra on Thursday.

The two-day exhibition and conference, under the theme: An Information Society for West Africa: Visions for the New Millennium," would be organised by AITEC Ghana in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications.

Owurako Amofa noted that the just-ended African Telecommunication Summit had as one of its resolutions, to support the African Telecommunication Union and make it strong and viable to fight for the development of the IT base of the continent.

He urged African IT users, scientists, engineers and technologists to resist the temptation of looking up to others for their needs. Rather they must endeavour to be innovative and creative so as to initiate efforts that would enable them to find solutions to African problems.

He called on IT specialists to tax people to manufacture simple communications gadgets that could be used in the rural telecommunications industry at affordable prices.

Mr Tim Gross, General Manager of AITEC Ghana, said more than 6,000 people are expected to visit the exhibition. He said exhibitors are expected from West Africa, South Africa, United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.

"About 30 exhibitors are already in from South Africa and we hope this number would rise as the date gets closer." Mr Gross said the aim of the exhibition and conference is to bring IT users and other people together and expose them to the latest technology and how to utilise it to maximise their operations.

Mr Kwame Ahiabenu, Executive Director of AITEC Ghana, said the two-day conference is designed to be an educational platform for over 150 delegates drawn from private and quasi-government institutions with presentations from top international experts and consultants.