Koforidua, Feb 20, GNA - Members of the Beads Sellers Association in the Eastern Region have said the beads industry was declining due to lack of permanent place to market their products. The over 300 members of the association are therefore appealing to the government to intervene to get them a permanent place to boost the industry.

At a press conference in Koforidua on Thursday, the members made a proposal to government to consider giving them a place at the regional premises of the Centre for National Culture (CNC). To the association the advantages that beads merchandising can have on the tourism development of the region cannot be overemphasized hence the need to facilitate the activities of the industry to grow to become the basis for tourism development. The chairman of the Eastern Beads Association, Mr Alhassan Mohamed, said the Koforidua Jackson Park that they use as a beads market on Thursdays is hampering their trading activities since they are permitted to use the park only on Thursdays. He said anytime that a national programme was taking place at the Jackson Park on Thursdays they would not be allowed to operate there. Mr Mohammed said their proposal to be located at the CNC was because beads were "tied to culture and crafts" whose promotion is the main objective of the centre.

He said the cost involved in always carrying their wares from Somanya and other Krobo areas to Koforidua and other places within the municipality was impacting negatively on their business activities. Last year the former Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Afram-Asiedu, visited the market and assured the sellers of the Regional Coordinating Council's support to re-locate them to a permanent place. Later, members of the association said they were approached by the assembly to re-locate to the new Zongo market, which is at the outskirts of the town but they made it clear that it was inconvenient for the growth of the beads industry. The assembly therefore asked them to go and consider the offer given them but due to the general elections they were not able to meet with the assembly to iron their differences. 20 Feb. 09