Over 5000 jobs to be created at Tema Free Zones

The government is hoping to create about 5000 additional jobs upon the completion of the Technology Park in Tema.

The park worth $250 million received a major boost when Ghana and Mauritius signed in Port Louis a framework agreement for its development.

The first phase of the park, which will be developed and managed by a Special Purpose Vehicle, will be on a 6.1 hectare serviced land in the Tema Free Zones enclave.

With an initial investment of US$75million to be scaled up to US$250million, about 5000 direct jobs and thousands of indirect job opportunities will be created on completion of the park.

The agreement signed by Minister for Communications Dr. Edward Omane Boamah and the Mauritius Minister for Finance and Economic Development, Seetanah Lutchmeenaraidoo lists the deliverables of the park project as a cyber-tower, an innovation tower, a multi-use facility, a conference center and a hotel.

Wednesday's signing brings to four, the number of agreements and MoUs between the governments of Ghana and Mauritius, during the 3-day State visit of President John Mahama.

The others are an MoU between Ghana's Standard Authority and the Mauritius Standards Bureau, an MoU on Cooperation in the fields of higher education, science and technology, and a Mutual Visa Waiver Exemption between the two countries.

Earlier, President Mahama toured the Le Morne Cultural Landscape and Monument in the Western part of Mauritius. The Le Morne, bearing the features of the slave trade and slave routes, served as a shelter for the slaves because the Le Morne Mountain was used by the slave traders as a fortress to shelter escaped slaves.