WE'LL RELEASE LAND FOR INVESTMENTS (PAGE 12, NSEMPA)

By Samuel Duodu, Sunyani

The Vice President of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, Nana Yaw Kagbrese, has given the assurance that Nananom were ready to release land for investments in the region as a way of helping to propel its socio-economic development.
He said the region was endowed with untapped natural resources such as mineral deposits, timber and fertile land for the production of food and cash crops and both local and foreign investors, therefore, could take advantage of the resources to invest in the region with the view to adding value to the resources. 
Nana Kagbrese, who is also the Omanhene of the Yeji Traditional Area, gave the assurance at the opening of the Brong Ahafo (BA) @ 50 Trade and Investment Fair dubbed, “Dwa Kesse 2009” at the Jubilee Park in Sunyani, the regional capital last Thursday.
The week-long fair, which opened on October 22 and will end on October 29, 2009, is aimed at attracting investors, both local and foreign, the region and entertaining them to add value to the food and cash crops produced abundantly in the region and other natural resources the region is endowed with.
There are about 500 exhibitors in the agriculture, textiles and garments, wood works, telecommunications and banking industries as well as herbal medicine practitioners taking part in the fair, which is also being used as a rallying point to promote indigenous businesses.
Nana Kagbrese further pledged that Nananom were again ready to support all initiatives that would result in development and create jobs for the youth in the region He therefore, signalled the investor community to come since they would never regret their decision.
The Yeji Omanhene noted that the completion of the Bui Dam, which was currently under construction would further help boost the energy requirements for investment in the region and urged all and sundry to play their respective roles effectively in the region’s investment drive which had been launched at the fair.
Nana Kagbrese in his opening remarks as the chairman, further urged Nananom to use part of the royalties that they received to support any investment initiatives in their respective traditional areas.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, in his address said the fair was to provide the citizens, especially the youth, the opportunity to exhibit their creative skills, showcase the industrial and tourism potential of the region and use the fair as a rallying point for unity, and development to attract investors.
He said the end result of the fair was to create employment and wealth, thereby reducing poverty in the region.
“As a result of lack of jobs many of the youth of the region embark on irregular migration to greener pastures, resulting in the death of those who use the desert. To help reverse this trend, the fair is being used to woo investors into the region, to create jobs for the youth”, he stressed.
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr John Gyetuah, in his address, said micro, small and medium Enterprises (MSMEs) were directly the leading employers in most regions of the country and they also contribute over eight per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Porduct (GDP).
According to him, it was for that reason that the mgovernment had placed a lot of emphasis on developing the MSME sector as part of efforts to harness foreign investments in the region.