Accra, March 10, GNA- Foreign exchange receipts from tourism are expected to increase from 600 million US to 800 million US dollars this year.

Nana Asante-Frempong, Chairman of the Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism said this when he presented the Committee's Report for the approval of the House 16.7 billion cedis for the Ministry of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City on Wednesday.

He said the Ministry would undertake aggressive marketing of Ghana by participating in tourism fairs and exhibitions and the dissemination of tourism promotional materials so as to increase tourist arrivals from 550,000 in 2003 to 650,000 this year.

Nana Asante-Frempong said as part of the Ministry's function to modernise the Capital City, the Ministry would undertake street lights of all ceremonial streets, and undertake a project in Bukom Square, and Ga Mashie.

The Ministry in collaboration with the assemblies in furthering the objective of providing safe and sanitary environment to Ghanaians as envisioned in the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) to evacuate 400,000 tons of refuse, he added.

Mr. Abu-Bakar Saddique Boniface, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City, moving the motion for the approval of the amount said the Ministry would develop and promote tourism and improvement of the capital city on sustainable basis in order to derive optimum socio-economic growth and positive environmental impact for the benefit of deprived communities in particular and the country as a whole.

The House later endorsed the sum of 16.7 billion cedis to the Ministry.