Cape Coast, Sept 10, GNA - The Central Regional Minister, Nana Ato Arthur, on Monday appealed to the Australian High Commission to help attract investors from his country to the Region to boost its economy. He said for the past 20 years, vital industries in the region, such as the Komenda sugar factory, Dunkwa Goldfields, Mankoadze fisheries and Saltpond ceramics have collapsed, to the detriment of the socio-economic development of the region.

Nana Arthur made the call when the Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr Jon Richardson, paid a courtesy call on him at his residency as part of a two-day working visit to the region. The Minister told the High Commissioner that the Regional Coordinating Council was "looking forward" to a partnership between Australia and the Region to help revamp the industries as well as investing in agro-processing.

He also called on Mr Richardson, to help link up Senior High Schools in the Region with schools in his country, such as Internet connectivity and exchange programmes.

He urged Australia to support Ghana's basic education such as the kindergartens, under the Commission's 'small grants funding program'. He said under the 'small grant funding program', assistance is given for various projects like health, water, sanitation and environmental issues as well as income generating ventures by NGOs. He said his visit to the Region was to enable him to visit some women groups in the municipality who had been given assistance under the program.

He said 9,500 dollars was given to the groups for the production of clothing and textiles for export under a 'women in progress' project. The High Commissioner had earlier presented 4,000 assorted academic books and journals worth 100,000 dollars donated by Dr David Dorward, a retired Director of the African Research Institute, at LaTroube University in Australia.

He is scheduled to make a personal donation of books to the Holy Child High School, on Tuesday. 10 Sept. 07