Assembly asked to make estimate cost of rehabilitation of centre

Koforidua, March 27, GNA - The New Juaben Municipal Assembly has as a matter of urgency been asked to make estimate cost of improvising pavilions and provision of basic facilities at the Centre for National Culture (CNC), so that the beads market in Koforidua could be relocation to the centre.

Mr. Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, Eastern Regional Minister, on Friday gave the directive after an inspection of CNC facilities and meeting with the leadership of the Centre on the relocation of the beads market to promote tourism and culture in the region.

The regional minister, who earlier on visited the Jackson's Park where trading activities were briskly going on, emphasized the need for a permanent beads market at the CNC for the trade in the commodity to thrive alongside culture and tourism since the three were inter-twined. Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo proposed the initiation of a culture exhibition to showcase beads, art and craft at the centre. The Regional Director of the CNC, Mr. Kingsley Obeng commended the minister for the directive and said the beads industry was at verge of collapsing, because Koforidua Jackson's Park, which has been the centre of the beads trade in Ghana was not a permanent market place but was used only on Thursdays.

The Chairman of the Beads Sellers Association, Mr Alhassan Mohamed, commended the minister for the steps being taken indicating that "With this development, we are more than assured that we would be given a permanent place to ensure that the beads selling become a daily activity and not a weekly one".