Tema, (Greater Accra) 16 Oct.,

Mr. Kwabena Kyere, Deputy Minister of Education, today commissioned a 1.95 billion-cedi machine for the manufacture of exercise books at the Tema Technical Institute (TTI). The machine, which can produce 2,500 exercise books hourly, can make five different types of exercise books with hard cover. Mr. Kyere said the Ministry of Education, which provided funds for the acquisition of the machine, has also granted 48,000 deutsche marks to enable TTI to purchase spare parts to expand the capacity of its printing department and produce additional and different types of exercise books. ''The Ministry of Education sees the development and effective operation of the printing department of the TTI as an important asset for the GES for the economic production of some of its exercise books and printing requirements to facilitate the implementation of the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (F-CUBE) programme...'' He said some donor/funding agencies, including the GTZ of Germany, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), have been approached to assist the TTI to upgrade facilities at the printing department.