Elmina, Aug. 22, GNA- Eight private sector operators in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) district, are pooling their resources to enhance waste management in the district to boost tourism. They are the Elmina Beach Resort, Coconut Grove and Highland Court Hotels, One Africa Guest House, Mabel's Table Inn, Great Life Line Enterprise, Kakum Rural bank, and Shell filling station all in Elmina. This came to light at a ceremony held on Tuesday to kick start the programme dubbed, "adopt a highway programme", geared towards keeping the highway and roads leading to Elmina, as well as communities along the highway clean.

The eight organizations, will employ and pay people to clean these places, while the KEEA credit union, the local branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union, Great Life Line Enterprise and the district assembly have pledged to provide Wellington boots, and other working tools for the project.

An African-American couple, Mrs Seestha Imahkus Njinga, and her husband, who has been installed 'safohen' of Iture near Elmina, under the stool name of Nana Okofo Ababio I, and who mooted the idea of the programme, said they were influenced by the success of similar programmes in various parts of the United States. Mrs Njinga explained that since tourism was one of the major sources of income for their businesses, it was imperative that they assisted to keep Elmina clean so as to attract more tourists to the place.

The District Chief Executive, Mr. George Frank Asmah, expressed concern over indiscriminate waste disposal and cautioned that the assembly was vigorously applying its bye-laws on sanitation in order to ensure that culprits are prosecuted. He commended the business concerns in the area for undertaking the programme, and reiterated the importance of the private sector as the engine of growth.

He said it was in this regard that the government was committed to assisting it to play its meaningful role in the socio-economic development of the nation and assured them of the assembly's support. The DCE announced that the assembly would by the end of October employ 50 people for waste management in Elmina and that the exercise, which would later be replicated in other parts of the district.