Oguaa Assembly to re-zone coastal stretch to boost tourism

Cape Coast, Nov. 05, GNA - Mr Anthony Egyir Aikins, Metropolitan Chi= ef Executive for Cape Coast, on Thursday said the assembly was evolving strategies to facilitate the growth of the tourism industry, generate employment for the people and attract the needed foreign exchange for development. It will, in this regard, redesign the ancient city of Cape Coast by re-zoning the coastal stretch from the Castle area through to the Fosu Lagoon Site to accommodate the development of beach front hotels and othe= r tourism facilities. Mr Aikins, who said this at the Second Ordinary Session of the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly (CCMA), hinted that, the Ghana Police and Pri= son officers' barracks, currently sited along the beach at Bakaano, would be relocated to pave the way for the proposed tourism projects. He said there was a proposal on an industrial township to be sited a= t Mpeasem near Jukwa and that about 10,000 acres of land had been acquired to develop it into a well designed site. It will also have serviced plots with all the requisite modern facilities to attract investors to the metropolis. Mr Aikins said the site would have free-zone enclaves, business park= s and a cyber city to attract investment in the Information and Communicati= on Technology (ICT) industry.

He said the whole metropolis would soon be given a facelift to befit= a modern tourism area since Cape Coast "is the tourism heartbeat" of the nation. Mr Aikins said a well designed bridge would be constructed on the Fo= su lagoon while plans were underway for the construction of an interchange a= t the Pedu Junction. The roads in the town will be upgraded and an ultra modern market an= d stadium built, the construction of affordable houses is also being negotiated by the assembly, he said. Mr Aikins urged all residents of the area to contribute their quota by assisting the assembly to carry out a total development of the area to enhance the wellbeing of the people. Members of the assembly expressed concern about the GH¢72,000 bein= g deducted quarterly from the common fund for the payment of services rende= red by the Zoomlion Ghana Limited saying it was too high and called for a review. They suggested that the work of the assembly's sanitation guards and=

that of the Company be outlined for each worker to know his expected role= s. An appealed was made for the immediate reconstruction of all the damaged bridges in the metropolis to lessen the burden on commuters. 05 Nov. 09