Tamale, Aug 9, GNA- Mr. Mohammed Amin Adam, Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive, said on Wednesday that because of the strategic location of the Metropolis it could serve as the hub of industrial and commercial activities for the three northern regions.

He said the city's strategic position as the gateway to the Sahelian Region also placed a huge responsibility on the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TAMA) to improve upon its services and create the infrastructure necessary for effective business development and investment.

Mr. Adam was addressing a Public/ Private Sector Consultative Forum organised by the metropolitan assembly to interact with the corporate community and other stakeholders on their role in the development of the metropolis.

The forum is also to create awareness among the private sector on the investment opportunities in the metropolis.

Mr Adam said the business community had in the past not responded very well to the opportunities to contribute to the beautification of the metropolis as well as provide social services. "No city is modernized without the participation of the corporate group. The challenge for you to now participate effectively is therefore here today".

He said there was the need to improve the road situation, street lighting, market infrastructure, public utilities and other services that would create the enabling environment for the business community. Mr Adam appealed to financial institutions to invest in business infrastructure and assist the people to access resources that could create indigenous businessmen and women.

He urged the business community to take advantage of the implementation of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) of which Tamale was benefiting to be more proactive in responding to the business opportunities being offered especially in agro-processing and agri-business.

He assured the businessmen that the Metropolis would facilitate the acquisition of land and other services which investors require to undertake their ventures.

Mr Adam said water, which almost every industrial activity depended on, was a major problem in the Metropolis but assured investors that the Tamale water expansion Project would soon take off. He said the need to give Tamale a new image should be the concern of all and called on the business community to participate actively in this regard.

Alhaji Mustapha Ali Iddris, the Northern Regional Minister, said Tamale as the regional capital and coupled with its strategic location had a lot of investment opportunities but noted that the potentials had remained untapped due to the security situation in the region. He said the situation had now improved and therefore appealed to the business community to expand their businesses and also encourage others to establish in the metropolis and the region in general. He said Tamale had been noted for indiscipline and lawlessness, a situation, which discourages investors but assured investors that he would give his full support to the MCE to rid the city of lawlessness.

Alhaji Iddris said as a host city for the CAN 2008 and the beautification of the Metropolis for the country's 50th Independence Anniversary, Tamale was expecting between 5,000 to 10,000 visitors and therefore needed to be kept clean. He urged the Metropolitan Assembly to redouble its efforts at maximizing revenue collection to enable it generate sufficient funds to undertake some of it development projects. 09 Aug 06