Agogo (Ash), April 13, GNA - The Ministry of Communications with the support of InfoDev and the World Bank is carrying out a study to establish Ghana's idealness for Business Process Outsourcing and Information Communication Technology (ICT) enabled services in the country.

The study when completed, will enable prospective investors enjoy the benefit of operating in an environment of rule of law and access to ICT facilities and labour.

Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama announced this at the inauguration of a 200,000-dollar ICT centre for the Agogo community in the Asante-Akim North district on Thursday.

The centre, which was initiated by Nana Kwame Akuoko Sarpong, Omanhene of the Agogo traditional area, was funded by Citrix Corporation of USA and was inaugurated as part of activities marking the 30th anniversary celebration of the enstoolment of Nana Akuoko Sarpong. Alhaji Mahama said the government was committed to connecting all regional and district centres, as well as major towns with fibre cable to attract private sector collaboration to deliver last mile connectivity solutions to reach all corners of the country. The Ministry of Communications is at an advanced stage of raising the needed resources from the Government of China to accomplish the project, he added.

He said the government was facilitating the connectivity arrangement to enable most Ghanaians use ICT effectively to create wealth and reduce poverty especially in the rural areas.

The Vice President said the government was creating the enabling environment and invited prospective investors to choose Ghana as their destination for ICT enabled services.

He appealed to Ghanaian software engineers to develop local contents to be placed on the Internet so that the country's rich culture could be accessed online.

He said the youth should be supported to read, write and observe their culture online as a way of protecting them from being exploited by other cultures.

Vice President Mahama commended Nana Akuoko Sarpong on his visionary leadership, which had ensured peace, unity and tremendous infrastructure development in the area.

He advised the youth against using the facility to watch pornographic films and urged them to use it to improve their socio-economic development.

Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of finance and Economic Planning, said the development of the country was a collective responsibility, irrespective of political affiliations. He advised the youth in the community to take advantage and make judicious use of the facility by studying hard to achieve higher academic laurels.

Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister, said the government had spent about four billion cedis to rehabilitate streetlights in the Agogo town.

He said the Agogo portion of the Afram Plains had been included in the Millennium Challenge Account, which would open up the area for massive infrastructure development and modern agriculture. Mr Traver Garven-Kennedy of the Citrix Corporation urged the youth to take advantage of the facility to create opportunities for themselves. Nana Akuoko Sarpong thanked all those who helped to make the project possible and asked them to continue to assist the people to initiate projects to improve their living conditions. 13 April 06