The Western Regional Minister, Honorable Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, on giving a report on the state of the region today, November 16, 2022 entreated Ghanaians and the world to invest in the western region, giving a clear statement of the region having a vast investment potential with having reigns of peace and calmness in the region.
As per his words,” The region has a vast investment potential in agriculture, in mining, tourism, oil and gas. So i will invite Ghana and the world to invest in Western region.”
The minister further layed out his intentions of wanting the Western region to become the leading tourism destination in the Ghana.
Having developed four castles and forts in the region, he mentioned completion of Fort Orange which he affirmed will be opened to the public in December.
According to the regional minister, plans have been made for the establishment of cruise hubs for west Africa starting with three cruise ships which will set off this year as well as ten more cruises being done for a cruise hub next year,2023.
Far from being without defects, Honorable kwabena Mensah went on to note the challenges being faced in the region which consist mainly of transport infrastructure and galamsey.
He gave assertions to mechanisms being put in place to deal with the challenges including the arrest of these illegal small scale miners which has resulted in seeing visible improvements on river bodies in the western region.
Also, works on having responsible sourcing of gold in the region are being established.
According go the minister, ” Currently, we are also getting our chief executives sign to the mining licenses that are being issued.”
” We are also working on making sure that there is responsible sourcing of gold in our communities do that those who are using child labor, using mercury and the rest will know that the law will definitely catch up to them because we are getting our chief executives fully involved in the work that they are doing.”
He gave assurance that by March 2022, the rivers bodies in the Western region should be clean, following the enforcement of the galamsey clearing measures.
The Western Regional Minister also stated that the Western Regional Coordination Council will continue to support and promote tourism, agriculture, mining, oil and gas for the benefit of dwellers in the region and Ghana at large.
Author-Roberta Appiah
