Cape Coast, Sept. 25, GNA - Nana Ato Arthur, Central Regional Minister on Tuesday observed that with increase in literacy rate, most of the people could understand the principles and values under-pinning government policies and programmes, participate in governance and make valuable contributions to national development. He noted that in the emerging globalised world, it was only through literacy that people could take advantage of the many opportunities available to become competitive for their survival. Nana Arthur made the observation when launching Central Regional Book Fair in Cape Coast.

It was under the theme "The Child Has The Right To Read". The week-long fair being jointly organized by Ghana Book Development Council (GBDC), Ghana Education Service (GES) and Cape Coast Municipal Assembly (CCMA) is to provide a platform for people to access books as well as facilitate a culture of reading and book-buying. It is also expected to forge direct relationships between producers, marketers and end users of books. Nana Arthur stressed the need to cultivate healthy reading habits in children because reading was a prerequisite to formal learning. He said the publishing industry could also develop with the generation of readers and asked teachers to ensure that they read more books and encourage children to read interesting books while they assess their reading skills to offer the needed assistance. Nana Arthur called on parents to ensure that their children had good supply of books, and refrain from rewarding them confectionaries and toys.

He urged writers, authors, publishers and the book industry to invest in creating "enduring reading habits" in children to help sustain reading habits and appealed to them to make their publications affordable.

Professor Samuel Kwaku Boateng, Executive Director of GBDC said the book fair was timely, in view of the beginning of the new educational reforms.

He said the fair would facilitate the provision of individual and corporate book needs and urged stakeholders and heads of educational institutions to take advantage of the reduction in prices of books and make bulk purchases.

Prof. Boateng said the council would soon establish some book clubs in the region as part of a nationwide pilot scheme recently instituted to monitor the growth and progress of reading and book-buying habits among students. He announced that the council would undertake outreach programmes in Mankessim, Elmina and Twifo-Praso. Ms Rosemond Blay, Central Regional Director of Education, underscored the importance of books and reading and stressed that writers, authors and publishers could improve on their performance when people yearn for books. On exhibition were text books for basic schools, novels and stationery from EPP Books, All Good Books, African Christian Press, University of Ghana bookshop and Unimax Macmillan. 25 Sept. 07