Koforidua, April 12, GNA - The New Juaben Traditional Council is negotiating with the World Bank to provide the Koforidua Municipality with Internet satellite towards improving Information Communication Technology (ICT) system in the area.

The project, which was being pursued under the New Juaben Development Board, is aimed at connecting all educational institutions in the area to the Internet to promote business and education.

These were made known in a speech read on behalf of the Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Professor Oti Boateng at the inauguration of the Sir Charles Memorial Consultancy Services, an Internet business centre, in Koforidua on Monday.

He said the launch of the Centre had come at the appropriate time when the Traditional Council and the Board were seeking ways of facilitating the economic development of the area through public-private sector participation.

Daasebre Boateng, therefore, urged investors to invest in the area, especially in small-scale and medium-scale enterprises. The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Yaw Barimah, in a speech read for him said the inauguration of the centre came at the time when the private and formal sector operatives needed guidance, support and technical direction to enable them to meet the challenges of globalisation.

He noted that the region was endowed with human resource for wealth creation to propel it and the country forward.

Mr Barimah cited the late Samuel C. Appenteng who set up the Intravenous Infusions Limited and the establishment of other herbal medicine facilities which had created job opportunities as a few of the potentials in the region.

Project Adviser of the Consultancy Service, Mr Isaac Kwesi Ocran said the centre was aimed at assisting the people to be abreast with ICT System to enable them to improve upon their businesses.

He gave a business profile of the Municipality from a baseline survey and said the Centre would provide business consultancy, to stimulate the informal sector towards wealth creation.

Mr Ocran appealed to the Ministry of Private Sector Development and Presidential Special Initiatives to provide financial assistance towards the promotion of businesses and to create an information processing centre.

He also called on financial institutions to improve their services to facilitate economic activities.