Accra, April 20, GNA - The Deputy Minister of Information, Mrs. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey has asked the Information Services Department (ISD) to explore avenues to generate revenue to support some of its activities.

She conceded that 80 per cent of the problems confronting the Department was due to inadequate funding and expressed the hope that certain aspects of the Department's operations would soon be commercialised to support it to achieve its objectives.

Ms Ayorkor Botchwey made the call after inspecting the Head Office, Exhibitions and Cinema Sections of the ISD.

A statement from the Department, signed by Mr Divine Kwapong, Acting Director, said Ms Botchwey underscored the importance of information dissemination in the development of the nation since the people had the right to know and be informed of the policies and programmes of the government.

Knowledge of such policies and programmes would enlist the ready participation of the people.

The Deputy Minister noted that the ISD had a crucial role to play in information dissemination and urged the Department to reach the remotest part of the country with education and information on government programmes.

Ms Botchwey said though the ISD was well equipped with the human resource, it lacked the appropriate working environment and equipment conducive for effective and efficient work output. She cited the example of the Photographic and Cinema Sections, which played significant roles in the information dissemination process and historical data collection, but were rather poorly equipped. The editing equipment at the Video Section and the Film Library are in bad state, and needed updating.

The Deputy Information Minister, expressed concern about the old age of a number of cinema vans assured the Department of Government's assistance and said the importation of new Hyundai media vans, equipped with video and public address systems was a testimony of Government's efforts to rectify the situation.

Ms Botchwey challenged Public Relations Officers (PRO's) attached to the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA's) to ensure that they played the essential role of serving as a link between the organisations and the ISD.