Regional News of Wednesday, 4 June 2003

Source: .

KEEA District Assembly to hold trade and investment forum

The Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) District Assembly would soon organise a trade and investment fair to explore and expose the economic and cultural potentials of the district.

The fair, which would open from June 29 to July 6, forms part of activities to mark the 15 years of the creation of the District Assembly.

Mr Frank Appiah, the Presiding Member, said this at the inauguration of a 2.5 billion cedis market complex at Elmina in the Central Region on Tuesday.

The theme for the fair would be: "15 years of socio-economic development the way forward".

The market complex which started in 1998 under the Urban three projects was also funded by the district assembly and European Union (EU) and has 145 stores, 160 stalls, two open sheds, a warehouse, butcher's shop, a lorry park and toilet facilities.

He said the celebration would be culminated in a donor's conference to climax this year's Bakatue festival and called both local and foreign investors to be part of the programme.

Mr Appiah said the assembly in collaboration with the EU Village Infrastructure Project (VIP) and other donors have constructed a number of schools, clinics, place of convenience and markets.

Mr Kwaku Akpotosu, the District Co-ordinating Director in his welcoming address, urged market women to maintain the highest standard in environmental sanitation, adding "let us avoid the situation where after a few months of the opening of the market the whole place is engulfed in dirt."

He advised GPRTU drivers to make use of the lorry park and desist from the practice of picking and alighting passengers on the road stressing that such behaviour amounts to indiscipline.

Mr Akpotosu said a taskforce would soon be put in place to arrest drivers who would park at un-authorized places.

Mrs Susana Takyi-Mensah, president of the Market Women Association commended the assembly and the government for building the market and appealed for loans to improve their businesses.