Tourists rush to Mole after Kofi Annan

Tourists visitations to the Mole National Park in the Northern Region increased fourfold after Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary General paid his last visit.

We are lucky and grateful to have such a person as one of us, Kwabena Baterls, Acting Minister of Tourism said on Thursday. The Minister was winding up a debate for the approval of 13.7 billion cedis for the Ministry of Tourism.

Captain Nkrabea Effah Dartey(rtd),NPP-Berekum suggested that, "a town's beauty, serenity and cultural presentation should earn it a 'cultural city ward' that must go with special projects and programmes"

He said the concept, which was widely patronised in Belgium had kept most towns in a race for cleanliness, hospitality and cultural preservation. The member, who is also the Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) said the MLGRD had started holding its conferences in less endowed towns and villages to upgrade their visitor receptive centres.

He said towns or villages would be lie idle if such events were not sent to their end.

The Deputy Minister said any visitor would have the benefit of unadulterated form of culture in such environs. J.H. Mensah said chieftaincy disputes were hampering culture-based tourism in the country.

He said the image of Ghana was sinking in that respect and urged chiefs to sit up in order to make their areas suitable tourist destination. The House also approved various allocations for various Ministries and bodies.

The Ministry of Agriculture had 419.3 billion cedis, Ministry of Interior, 624.7 billion cedis and Office of the District Assemblies Common Fund Administrator, 550 million cedis. In another development, The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had been mandated to collect Airport Tax.

A bill to that effect was passed on Thursday by Parliament taking the power from the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). Yaw Osafo Maafo, Minister of Finance, when moving for the motion, said the IRS would be physically present at the Airport to take the tax.

He said the Service would keep sixty per cent and give the remaining forty per cent to the GCAA as the law demanded. The minister said although IRS had complained that GCAA were reluctant to give it its share of the tax, he would make sure that IRS did not avenge.