Bolgatanga, May 26, GNA - Mrs. Lucy Awuni, Upper East Deputy Regional Minister, called for an end to violent conflicts in the Northern and Upper East Regions to accelerate the development of those areas.

She said that peace and stability were necessary conditions for the people to effectively tap the enormous resources and to attract investors into that part of the country. Mrs. Awuni was speaking at a day's forum on, "Investment Promotion and Ghana's Development in the New Economic world" in Bolgatanga, at the weekend.

It was organized by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), to disseminate information on investment to the business public and establish a platform for people to take advantage of investment potentials in the Upper East Region to create wealth and employment for the youth.

Mrs. Awuni said "It should be noted that nobody would invest in the North if the people themselves are not committed to the development of the area by leading the process. We would remain poor in spite of the numerous potentials available to us if we do not harness them". She said government had planned to provide a visionary industrial policy with clear targets on agricultural processing, textiles, minerals, petro-chemicals, pharmaceuticals (including herbal), housing and road construction to promote business and investment. Mrs. Awuni said that government was committed to creating an enabling environment for business to grow in the Northern and Upper East Regions.

She said to ensure that people went about their normal duties without hindrance, the Police Service would be provided with the appropriate equipment, logistics, office and residential accommodation, for effective policing.

Mrs. Awuni said intelligence agencies would be supported and rebuilt to meet the contemporary threats of money laundering, cross border crimes and human and drugs trafficking.

Mr. Augustine Acheampong Otoo, Director, Global and Regional Operations, GIPC, enumerated benefits that businesses that registered with GIPC could enjoy including protection and tax exemptions. He said operators in real estate, rural Banking, cattle ranching, tree cropping, shea nut, enjoyed ten years tax free, while those in poultry, fish farming, cash crop farming and waste management were given five years exemption from tax.

Mr. Otoo stressed that all such businesses registered with GIPC and located in the Upper East, Upper West and the Northern Regions (three Northern Regions) would not pay taxes nor would the equipment they would import attract custom duties.

He urged business persons to consider investing in agriculture, in the three Northern Regions, which had a lot of potential. Mr. Otoo said that leather works in the North needed improvement and India with better treatment techniques (of leather) expressed interest in the economic activity and urged business persons to invest in that area.

Investment potentials in the region included crafts, straw, leather and smock weaving, mining (including gold, granite boulders) tomato and onion farming and dawadawa processing. Tourist's attraction site were, the Paga crocodile pond, Tongo hills, Tenzuk shire, Slave resting place and the Tono and Vea Irrigation dams.

Nana Kodwo Adentwi, of the Ghana Free Zones Board (GFZB), urged business persons to register and obtain license from the Board to enable them to export and import goods without hindrance. He asked them to form cooperatives for easier access to packages to help boost their businesses. 26 May 09 Attention recipients, item 02 ends first cast.