Ho, June 30, GNA- The Ho Municipal Assembly would hold its first trade and investment exposition this year to stimulate growth potentials of the Municipality.
The Ho Tourism, Real Estate and Investment Expo is a two-week event expected to begin later in the month of August and bring together industry players.
Mr Divine Bosson, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), said at the media launch on Wednesday that stakeholders sought a transformation of the resource-endowed Municipality from an agrarian to a fledgling multi economic hub that would help realise growth and employment needs.
He said the fair had therefore been staged to converge potential and attract both local and international investors to the Municipality and the Region at large.
“This event, having been carefully thought through, is aimed at changing the face of the Ho Municipality to one which focuses on growth, development, and employment creation for the youth.
“Our reliance on agriculture as the mainstay of the municipality has proven over the period that we need to diversify and delve into other economic activities to enhance income reduce poverty among the populace. This therefore calls for pragmatic measures aimed at lifting most of our people from the doldrums,” he stated.
The MCE pointed to the tourism potential the Municipality reeked of, as well as a fast-expanding real estate space providing jobs and said both would be exposed to investors during the event.
He called on industrialists to seek investments within the Municipality.
“This media launch is to set the stage for the necessary synergies to be created among Tourism, real estate, and infrastructural development to propel our Municipality to higher heights. I am therefore throwing the challenge to the captains of industry, businesses, commercial farmers, hoteliers, and other concerns in and outside the Municipality that the time is now to invest in ‘Ho must bounce back project.’
The Expo is on the theme “Positioning the Oxygen City, Ho, for Infrastructural Development and Tourism,” and over 200 exhibitors are expected at the Ho Jubilee Park where it would be held.
Stakeholders including the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), the Ghana Tourism Authority, and the Volta Regional Coordinating Council are working together on the expo, with others such as the Volta Development Forum and the Ghana Journalists Association as major partners.
Mr Benjamin Kpodo, Member of Parliament for Ho Central Constituency, chaired the launch, and said the Municipality required “concrete steps” towards ensuing its development, calling to consider widely the numerous potentials.
He said a transformed attitude towards the business environment was also crucial, while local economic investment by indigenes was required to encourage external investors.
The MP noted the need for modern financial systems to help reposition business in the enclave for the current digital wave.
Dela Gbeve, Treasurer of the AGI in the Eastern, Volta and Oti Regions, said the Municipality served as a launchpad for its activities in the enclaves, and that the Association shared faith in its growth potentials, and thus the prospects of the upcoming fair.
He revealed that the Municipality had been selected to host a permanent office of the AGI and an SME incubation center and mentioned growing partnership with the Assembly on several fronts.
Mr. Gbeve said the AGI would therefore support the successful delivery of the trade event.
Emmanuel Agbaxode, Volta, and Oti Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association, urged the media to own the event, and provide publicity towards its success and their economic development.
GNA