By Isaac Arkoh
Cape Coast, July 4, GNA – The Central Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) has reassured of its resolve to pull its strategic position in the development quadrant of Ghana to rake in the full benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA).
Sandwiched by the national capital in the east, the Ashanti Region in the north, Western and Western North Regions in the west, and resting on the Atlantic Ocean, among many unique attributes, the region was well-placed to attract investments for accelerated development.
Mr. Kingsley Agyei Boahene, the Regional Coordinating Director, said the repositioning of the Region as an attractive and most preferred investment destination through aggressive rebranding strategies.
He was speaking at the Central Regional stakeholder’s forum on ACFTA put together by the Ministry of Trade and Industry to solicit support for successful implementation.
Highlighting the endowments of the Region, he said the Region had great potential for tourism, educational and industrial development which could be explored for its well-being.
Highlighting the comparative advantage for trading under ACFTA, he urged investors to explore the many resources, including clay, gold, bauxite, stone quarry, lithium, salt, sunlight, and the Atlantic Ocean among others.
For fishing, the Region benefited from the construction of landing beaches in Elmina, Mumford, Apam, Komenda, Moree, Cape Coast, Biriwa, Anomabo, Senya Bereku, Winneba, and Nyanyano for fish processing.
In the tourism sector, major attractions such as Cape Coast Castle, Kakum National Park, Assin-Manso Slave River, Komenda caves as well as citrus plantations, oil palm plantations, and cassava.
Mr. Boahene was also elated by the proposed Lagos Corridor 1,028-kilometre three-lane dual carriage highway spearheaded by ECOWAS, which seeks to further the aim of ACFTA through major towns and cities in Ghana, Togo, and Benin to Lagos in Nigeria.
In the Region, the road will pass through 10 districts, including Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem, Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese, Ekumfi, Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam, and Awutu Senya.
Gomoa West, Gomoa East, Gomoa Central Districts, Mfantseman Municipality, and the Cape Coast Metropolis will also be affected by the project.
The abundance of resources, he said the Region had not been projected in a manner to attract the needed investment for its transformation.
This, he said, will return the most peaceful region of the nation onto the path of job creation, growth, and prosperity for all.
Dr. Fareed Arthur, the National Coordinator for ACFTA, said his outfit was determined to collaborate with all the 16 RCCs to set desks to ease communication with the National Secretariat.
He, therefore, urged all Metropolitan, Municipal and Assemblies (MMDAs) to lead the vision of ACFTA for creating a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business people and investments.
He said the move would pave the way for expanding intra-African trade through better harmonization and coordination of trade liberalization and facilitation, regimes and instruments across Africa.
It will resolve the challenges of multiple and overlapping memberships and expedite the regional and continental integration processes and enhance competitiveness at the industry and enterprise levels.
GNA