Koforidua, March. 4, GNA - The Minister of State for Tertiary Education, Ms. Elizabeth Ohene has inaugurated a number projects worth over one billion cedis for the Koforidua Polytechnic funded by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) on Thursday.

The projects included a Direct Internet Satellite facility with 40 computers worth about 380 million cedis, a rehabilitated workshop serving as a temporary Assembly Hall and bricklaying block worth 205 million cedis and a 30-seater Coaster bus at 463 million cedis. In a speech, Ms Ohene explained that the government, through the GETFund Board accepted to sponsor the Direct Internet facility because it had the confidence that it would be used for both education and provision of E-mail facilities to offices, business firms and organizations within the Koforidua municipality.

She also hoped business entities would take advantage of the facility to avail themselves of the favourable tax relief packages announced in this year's budget for those who locate in areas outside Accra and Kumasi.

Ms. Ohene assured the Polytechnic of continuing GETFund support not only to maintain but expand the facility towards achieving its vision of introducing Business Technology degree and auto engineering and building construction programmes to complement the current predominantly business ones being run.

She urged the management to put in place a sound maintenance regime to ensure that the facilities had a longer life span. The Administrator of the GETFund, Mr Fosuaba Mensah-Banahene said with the government being current in paying into the Fund its statutory payments since 2003 as well as the arrears, the GETFund Board had sufficient funds to continue providing facilities for the tertiary institutions to become centres of excellence in the near future.

The Principal of the Polytechnic, Dr. Henry Appiah had, in a welcoming address, mentioned other on-going projects on the campus under GETFund sponsorship, which included an 18-unit classroom block with a lecture theatre, another 12-unit classroom block, a two-storey auto workshop and three classrooms and a ten-number staff bungalows. He hoped funds for work on the students hostel and a three-storey Administration Block would also be provided for their earlier completion.

Among the personalities who attended were the Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Prof. Oti Boateng and the chairman of the Polytechnics Board, Prof. Sir Knight Kwabena Yiadom-Boakye.