SOURCE: GNA
The Oti Regional Minister, Joshua Makubu, the says the Region has a large segment of untapped investment opportunities that could be explored by both local and international investors to improve the local economy.
The Region, he said, abounded in natural resources such as iron ore, land, clay, stones, sand, fish, and rich vegetation.
He, therefore, expressed the Regional Coordinating Council’s readiness to provide an enabling environment for investors to maximise their investments, which would also be to the benefit of the Region.
Speaking at a media encounter dubbed: “The Minister’s Press Briefing on the State of the Regional Reports” in Accra, on Sunday, Mr Makubu said the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) had been implementing the Government’s flagship policies to engender economic growth, create jobs and eradicate poverty.
Some of the programmes being implemented include One-District, One-Factory, Planting for Food and Jobs, Planting for Export and Rural Development, Savanna Investment Programme, Rearing for Food and Jobs, and equipping the capacity of small and medium-scale businesses with new skills to expand and adopt new technologies.
On iron ore discovery in commercial quantities in the Region, Mr Makubu said the commodity could be found in districts like Guan, Biakoye, Jasikan, Kadjebi and Krachi East.
Therefore, the Government, through the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation, was determined to ensure a full value chain in its exploitation.
On health, the Minister said the Region was benefiting from the Agenda III with four districts having been allocated district hospitals and work ongoing.
Also, a total of 18 health projects were ongoing with 10 completed including health centres, community-based health posts and clinics.
Touching on the benefit of the Free Senior High School Policy, the Minister said, school enrolment increased from 15,285 in 2016 to 25, 483 in 2022, representing 66.72 per cent.
The number of schools enrolled under the School Feeding Programme had increased from 164 in 2016 to 298 in 2022, with 51,692 pupils in 2016 to 103,128 beneficiaries in 2022.
The Minister said since the creation of the Region in 2019 following a successful referenda in 2018, the RCC had been constructing residential and administrative infrastructure to house key departments and services including a regional administrative block, Ghana Education Service Directorate block, Department of Agriculture block, and Youth and Employment Agency Office as well as circuit court complexes for the Judicial Service at Chinderi in the Krachi Nchumuru District and judges’ bungalow at Kadjebi District.
On road infrastructure, Mr Makubu said there had been massive road network improvements including reshaping of feeder roads, upgrading and rehabilitation of major routes, thereby resulting in easy accessibility of the Region from all angles.
For instance, he said, the government had constructed the 30 km Hohoe-Jasikan road, Jasikan-Dodo Pepeso road and upgraded the 26.8km Kete Krachi-Buya road.
He said the strategic and sustained road network expansion was aimed at opening the Region to economic activities and stimulating investment drive.
The Region, he said, also abounded with many tourism sites like hanging villages, waterfalls, fountains, and parks that would make wonderful viewing and an adventure to behold, and thus urged both Ghanaians and foreigners to visit those places for viewing pleasure.
