Business News of Wednesday, 12 November 2003

Source: GNA

Aflao signs cooperation agreement with Canadian companies

Aflao (V/R), Nov. 12, GNA- The Aflao Traditional Council has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with four Canadian companies and Institutions for investment and cooperation to generate employment and facelift the area.

This include the deal with Wellness Resources International (WRI), under which a 400-billion cedis tourism centre to be called Volta Health and Spa Resource Project would be undertaken.

The project includes lodging and recreational facilities, pharmaceutical manufacturing, a health centre and sanatorium. Togbe Amenya Fiti V, Paramount Chief of the Area announced this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Aflao on Tuesday after returning home from Canada.

He said the Chief Executive Officer of WRI, Professor David Levy, would be leading a delegation to Aflao in December next year to inspect a 167-acre plot of land earmarked for the project. Togbe Fiti said under the agreement, the traditional area would provide capital in the form of land while WRI provides expertise, money, training and marketing.

He said Hygrex Stehr Industries, a company engaged in post harvest equipment production and Sunrise Technology Cooperation (STC), which deal in solar pump machines, were among the companies to set up in the area.

Togbe Fiti said STC would provide solar pump machines to commercial vegetable farmers in the area to reduce the cost of using electric and fuel powered machines, which increase the cost of production. He said a group of commercial vegetable farmers in the area would accordingly be sponsored to study the operations and management of the equipment in Canada.

Togbe Fiti appealed to the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Ghana government to assist the farmers with funds from the poverty reduction scheme to enable them to acquire the equipment.

He said an agreement was also reached with the city of Windsor, a Canadian town for cooperation with Aflao. Togbe Fiti said the Mayor of Windsor promised to meet his Councillors for discussion on promotion of tourism, technology and education.

He said Aflao would also be linked to other border cities world wide to take advantage of their advanced technology and expertise in border city management.