Accra, Nov. 14, GNA - The Ministry of Tourism and Disaporan Relations is promoting domestic tourism to facilitate national unity by encouraging citizens to move out of their localities to visit places of interest in the country.
Mr Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, the Sector minister, who made this known in a speech read on his behalf at the Third Greater Accra Regional Vanguard Best Taxi Driver Awards ceremony in Accra, said the Tourism Promotion Policy of the country would also promote eco-tourism through the preservation and improvement of the environment.
It was on the theme: "The Disciplined Taxi Driver - An Assets to the Driving Profession, National Road Safety and Tourism Development. "Tourism has become one of the fastest growing sectors of our national economy. It is currently a major pillar of the economy and we aspire to make it the leading foreign exchange earner for Ghana in the near future," he said.
Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey acknowledged the important role commercial drivers played in the tourism industry and urged them to strive to meet expectations for the upcoming events in the next two years to ensure growth in the industry.
He said the country had a host of events ahead in 2007 and 2008, which posed challenges both for the nation and drivers. He named the events as the 50th Anniversary, the Africa Union Summit of Heads of State, the "Joseph Project" which coincides with the celebrations of the 200th year of the abolition of Chattel Slavery, the CAN 2008 and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development meeting.
"These events present opportunities for showcasing the country's rich culture and other tourism projects," he said. Mr Mahama Emmanuel Baba, Chief Executive of Vanguard Assurance, said the awards scheme instituted about four years ago was to recognise and reward hard work, discipline and all the virtues the public wished to see in commercial drivers.
He said as an insurance company, Vanguard Assurance usually got to hear of and see more horrific road accidents than got reported by the media.
This is because almost all road accidents resulted in insurance claims and they therefore had the unpleasant duty of coming face-to-face with the social and economic cost of accidents, which were mostly due to carelessness and indiscipline on the part of drivers.
Mr Baba said as the country made preparations for the events the hospitality industry and commercial drivers had the greatest responsibility in projecting a positive image of the country to the outside world.
He urged drivers' unions and agencies including the National Road Safety Commission and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to help in the crusade to instil better driving behaviour and discipline on the roads.
Mr Anthony Adukpo of the Brigade Taxi Union was adjudged the best taxi driver and car owner in Greater Accra Region. His prize was a double door freezer and one year insurance policy. The Best Driver Union/Society in the Region went to the North Kaneshie Co-operative Transport Society. Biakoye Taxi Drivers Union and Teshie First Junction Taxi Unions came second and third, respectively. They each received a table top fridge for their offices.
