Tamale The Ministry of Health is working out modalities to integrate the onchocerciasis control programme into the mainstream of the health system under the District Health Management Teams (DHMT's). This is to ensure its sustainability when the programme winds up by the year 2002.

As part from the integration, the DHMT'S, in collaboration with the District Assemblies, will undertake disease surveillance and implement other local plans of action to combat the disease.

A two-day seminar has been organised in Tamale for 60 health personnel from the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions to discuss the new approach to the control of the disease.

Tamale Empretec Ghana Foundation, a business development agency, is supporting 20 small- scale entrepreneurs in the Northern Region with undisclosed credit facilities to expand the tourism, construction and export sectors of the economy.

The credit packages come from funds under the Foundation's Business Development, Technology and Enterprise Development and Financial Assistance to micro and small enterprises.

Mr. Kingsley Gyan, Regional Credit Manager of Empretec, told GNA in Tamale today, that the beneficiaries applied for the credit facility either as working capital for the acquisition of machinery or other fixed assets.

He said there is a positive growth in business and employment generation as a result of the assistance, adding that more applications are being processed for consideration before the end of the year.

Accra The Electricity Corporation of Ghana (ECG) today signed a 6.5 billion-cedi contract for the establishment of two 20 megawatts electricity sub-stations at Batsona and Ridge in Accra.

It was signed by Mr. John Kobena Hagan, Managing Director of ECG, and Mr. Nagarajan V. Krishman, Area Marketing Manager of Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) Ghana, for ABB-Power Tech.

The contract has a foreign component cost of 2.167 million dollars and a local component of 323.2 million cedis.

Accra Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, today said that Ghana has almost become a sub-regional leader due to the democratisation process adopted by the government.

Alhaji Mumuni made this remark when Mr. Hans Duncke, Resident Director of Friedrich Ebert Foundation, paid a courtesy call on him at his office in Accra.

He said the country's democracy is growing fast and is becoming a shining example to many African countries.

Cape Coast The Cape Coast Castle maintained its lead as the most patronised tourist attraction in the Central Region after registering a record visitation of 29,770 between January and December last year.

Statistics released to the Ghana News Agency in Cape Coast yesterday by the local office of the Midwestern University Consortium for International Activities (MUCIA), indicate that the 16th century fortress also generated its highest revenue of 39,926,150 cedis from visits over the same period.

Last year's receipts represent an improvement on the 9,844,700 cedis collected in 1994 and 35,484,900 cedis in 1995.

Accra President Jerry John Rawlings today said government reforms are carefully targeted at a realistic balance of policy and resources to make way for fuller implementation of development programmes.

This, President Rawlings said, was critical and needed consensus on the best way to cement the platform to address the issues involved.

President Rawlings said this at the opening of a workshop on "Strategic leadership and coordination of public sector reforms" in Accra.

In a speech read for him by the vice-president, Professor John E. Atta Mills, the President said for government policies and priorities to be sustainable, they must be formulated within a capable system that is equipped with the relevant expertise, structures and remuneration packages.