Construction of Elmina fishing harbour to cost 16 million dollars

Elmina, July 3, GNA - Mr Joseph Henry Mensah, the Senior Minister, has said about 16 million dollars would be needed to build a fishing harbour at Elmina. He appealed to the district assembly and the local people to show interest in the project by "rededicating yourselves to your individual and collective tasks.'' ''This will speed up assistance from investors who have expressed the desire to provide funds for the project that is expected to take off next year.''

Mr Mensah was speaking at the opening of a three-day conference on ''the Elmina 2015 Strategy'' at the Elmina Castle. The ''Elmina 2015 Strategy'' is aimed at developing five priority areas of health, fishing, sanitation, tourism and education within the next 12 years to enhance the town's socio-economic development. He said the development of Elmina was overdue and called on the people to ensure clean and healthy surroundings, especially the tourist attractions. Mr Mensah, who described himself "as a friend of Elmina", expressed optimism that when completed the harbour would not only boost the fishing industry in the area but would also generate employment for many people.

The Deputy Minister of Tourism and the Modernisation of the Capital City, Mr. Boniface Abubakar Saddique, said it was the desire of the Ministry to "develop and change Elmina into a modern tourism village by 2007." He commended the district assembly for coming up with the development strategy which, he said, contained similar strategies drawn up by his ministry. Mr Saddique also touched on the Elmina Cultural Heritage and Management Programme to preserve historical sites like the forts and castles and asked for support from the people to ensure the programme's success.

The Dutch Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. A van der Wiel, appealed to the citizens of Elmina to be involved in the implementation of the plan to make it more workable. The District Chief Executive, Nana Ato Arthur, said Elmina's rich history could be used to stimulate economic development and improve the living conditions of the people.