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Oboshie tasks tourism heads to
accelerate work
Accra, July 16, Ghanadot/GNA – Mrs. Oboshie Sai Cofie,
Minister for Tourism and Diasporan Relations, has urged
various heads under the Ministry and Tourism related
agencies to accelerate work on projects to ensure that
targets are met this year.
This is in line with her vision to make tourism one of the
major revenue and foreign exchange earners in Ghana, a
statement issued by the Ministry said on Wednesday.
The statement said Mrs Sai Cofie made this call when she
addressed heads of departments and related agencies under
her ministry during a Ministry of Tourism and Diasporan
Relations Mid-Year Performance Review Seminar held at the
Forest Hotel at Dodowa.
She assured the industry of government’s unflinching support
to push tourism in Ghana forward and to mobilize financial
resources and other logistics to facilitate its work.
The Minister explained that the need for developing
countries such as Ghana to explore avenues to diversify the
economy, create wealth and reduce poverty within communities
had become more critical with the present global challenges.
“Fortunately, for Ghana, the huge tourism potential in terms
of our existing cultural, historical and natural attractions
coupled with political stability, peace and tranquillity and
the emerging good image for the country, our celebrated
Ghanaian hospitality and steady improvements of our
infrastructure, provide us with a good basis and
justification to harness and optimize the use of our
resources for development.”
Mrs. Sai-Cofie challenged directors and various agency heads
under the ministry to work assiduously and accelerate
progress on existing projects to ensure that the ministry’s
importance in contributing to the overall economic growth of
the country was fully realized.
“You would agree with me that global challenges triggered by
surging fuel and food prices have placed much pressure on
many countries and Ghana is no exception.
“I have no doubts that if we position ourselves well through
our programmes and projects, then we can reap a fair share
of the lucrative global tourist trade in terms of foreign
earnings and other economic benefits such as employment for
our youth and women”.
Other benefits Mrs. Sai Cofie spoke of include increased
revenue for central government, local government
institutions, agencies and the communities, while at the
same time using tourism as an effective tool for
conservation of our environment and local cultures.
To achieve the stated goals the Minister called on all
players in the sector to find “creative ways of doing things
and doing them faster”.
She noted that although the ministry was challenged by
inadequate financial resources among other setbacks, work
during the first part of the year had been satisfactory but
could be improved on tremendously.
She commended the directors and heads of the Ministry of
Tourism and Diasporan Relations and its agencies for their
cooperation, support and work.
The 2008 Ministry of Tourism and Diasporan Relation Mid-Year
Performance Review provided the opportunity for the
country’s tourism administration front-liners to take stock
of how they had fared in implementing policies and
programmes and plans ahead.
It was also to review planned strategies and possibly
re-strategize towards achieving desired goals.
GNA
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