Four Communities in Ahanta West District welcome tourism centre

Princess Town (W/R), June 30, GNA - The chiefs and people of four farming and fishing communities in the Ahanta West District have welcomed locating a tourist attraction centre in their area by the Soroma Capital Company, a British/Ghanaian company. The four beneficiary communities of the 630 acre land eco-tourism project are Princess Town, Akatekyie, Asuboi and Anlo Beach. Speaking in turns at a well attended forum at Princess Town to inaugurate the proposed project, the chiefs and people said not only would the eco-tourist attraction centre project the communities to the outside world to attract investors to area but would also create job opportunities for the youth as well as promote development.

They assured the investors of creating enabling peaceful environment for the project to take off as scheduled. The forum was organized by the Western Regional office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which has received a draft Environmental Impact Statement from the Soroma Capital and briefed the communities on the potential social concerns regarding environmental implications.

The chiefs and people noted that this was the first ever big and profitable project to be sited in the area therefore warned that they would not support any interference to hold it back. Mr Joseph Jones Amoah, Ahanta West District Chief Executive, praised the investors and assured them of most conducive and enabling environment for the project to succeed. Dr Ayowa Afrifa-Taylor, Managing Director of the Soroma Capital, said appreciable compensation would be paid to those whose land had been taken to undertake the project.

She said the investors did feasibility studies in the area five years ago and had been making preparations for a smooth takeoff of the project. Dr Afrifa-Taylor said the beach resort would comprise facilities such as a five-star hotel, cultural village, golf village, airstrip and residential units, conference suites, restaurants, bars, kids clubs and artisan workshops.

She said the company would create jobs for over 1,000 youths, provide infrastructure like all weather roads linking the communities, hospitals, schools, banks, police station as well as a scholarship scheme for the local pupils and students. Dr Afrifa-Taylor appealed to the youth to be serious with their education to acquire skills so as to qualify them for employment at the resort else management of the company would turn elsewhere to employ skilful people.