Elmina, Feb. 16, GNA - Mr Frank Appiah, Presiding Member of the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) District Assembly, on Monday expressed concern about the unsanitary conditions in the Elmina Township, despite efforts by the assembly to improve the situation to attract more tourists.

He expressed regret that the township, which he described as the "heartbeat" of tourism in the Central Region, was being defaced through negative practices like indiscriminate littering, dumping of refuse into gutters and drains, and unauthorised refuse dumps.

The township, boasts of various tourists attractions including the Fort Saint Jago and the Dutch Cemetery, while the annual 'bakatue' festival also attracted lots of tourists.

Mr. Appiah, was speaking at a 'mini assembly meeting', organised in honour of a six-member delegation from Gouda, a sister-city in the Netherlands currently on a week's visit to the country.

Mr Jaap Warners, Deputy Mayor of Gouda, is leading the delegation and the Dutch government, is supporting the assembly with 46,000 euros to support its waste management programme, over a three-year period.

The Presiding Member was particularly concerned about the effects of such practices on the environment and on the health of the people and urged residents to put a stop to that negative practice.

He expressed the hope that members of the delegation would share their experiences on waste management with the assembly to enable it to address the problem.

The KEEA District Chief Executive, Nana Ato Arthur briefed the delegation of the operations of the assembly, and said part of the 46,0000 euros would be used to purchase communication equipment for awareness creation, and waste management facilities.

He said it was the assembly's desire to improve upon the living standards of its people, adding that the township is to benefit from a tourism development programme under which the Castle and other monuments would be rehabilitated to enhance tourism.

Mr Warners said the sister-city relationship, would enable the two cities to dialogue on how best they could apply technical, operational and logistical systems to their mutual benefit.