Kintampo (B/A) Sept. 29, GNA – Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, Minister of Local Government and Rural Government, at the weekend cut the sod for the commencement work on a tourism receptive facility at Kintampo Falls, estimated at 880 million cedis.
The facility, which will have kitchens, dinning halls, shops and toilets, is to be completed by next year.
Mr Adjei-Darko at a durbar of Wangara chiefs and people to mark the celebration of the Kurubi festival as part of World Tourism Day, called for peaceful co-existence and good governance towards national reconstruction.
He appealed to district assemblies to collaborate efforts with traditional rulers to reduce poverty among the people. Mr Adjei-Darko expressed regret that the chieftaincy institution was bedevilled with disputes that hamper progress and said the government required peace and stability to solve problems facing the people.
He noted that the actual threat to the global economy was unemployment, poverty, famine and disease and not the possession of ballistic missiles, biological or chemical weapons by some countries. The Minister said the President’s Special Initiatives on Cassava and Textiles were, aimed at improving the well being of the people, especially those in the rural areas.
Mr Adjei-Darko said the destruction of the country’s vegetation through bushfires, quarrying, mining, poaching and farming called for positive efforts to create employment opportunities.
He said forest reserves, which constitute about 11 per cent of the country’s total land surface were inadequate to support future generations, adding that eco-tourism could be an effective scheme for conserving the forest.
Mr J.K. Bomfeh, Kintampo District Chief Executive, appealed to private investors, non-governmental organisations and donor agencies to go into partnership with the assembly to help develop tourist sites in the district.
He commended the government for initiating the project, which he said would help attract more tourists to the Kintampo area.
