The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is putting up an ultra modern two-storey auditorium capable of seating up to 2000 people with enhanced lighting and acoustic systems. The building to be known as Burma Hall would consist of a VVIP lounge and modern offices.

The Minister of Defence, Dr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor announced these at the foundation stone laying for the Burma Hall and the Burma Camp Commercial Complex at the Burma Camp in Accra yesterday.

Dr. Addo-Kufuor said the Burma Camp Commercial Complex upon completion would consist of a library and the state-of-the-art computer laboratory and an Internet caf?. Also it would accommodate the Burma Camp branch of the Ghana Commercial Bank and the State Insurance Company (SIC).

He said the library and the computer lab would further improve the intellectual capacity of personnel of the GAF. He said over ?5m worth of books have been procured to stock the library whiles over 30 computers are already in place for setting up the lab.

Touching on other projects, Dr. Addo-Kufuor said the children's Ward of the 37th Military Hospital would be expanded to house a 120-bed Children's Ward and 150-bed capacity Maternity block as well as a modern Accident and Emergency Unit with state-of-the-art equipment.

He said after these projects the Military Hospital would become a Centre of Excellence to become part of the Post-Graduate Medical College of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

The Defence Minister said a 200-hectare agro-forestry project which was launched last year with the aim of increasing the forest cover of the country has been extended to all the Garrisons of the GAF and a total of ?410m has been raised to develop it.