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Top 5 weekend destinations in Ghana for great family bonding

The world has become very challenging with less time for other life activities and more concentration on work, success and making money. There is always an opportunity to have some good times with your family. They are the primary people in our lives. We end up spending more time at work than at home with our spouses and kids. There comes a time when you have to move away from all the stress and hard work to spend good time with the people we love and care about the most. Take vacations, go to as many places as you can. You can always make money, but you can't always make memories. Jumia Travel, Africa’s leading online hotel booking website brings you top 5 weekend destinations in Ghana for great family bonding. Ada - Now the haven of most family travelers. A place where most people instantly look at when they plan a family vacation. With some very amazing beaches and waterfronts coupled with comfortable hotels and apartments, Ada is a town that is always packed during weekends. Located in the Eastern Region of Ghana, the town is rich in culture and heritage. The famous Asafotufiami festival is celebrated extensively here and travelers who find themselves in Ada are blessed with a great taste of tradition, fun and excitement. The Akosombo dam and Adomi bridge are tourist attractions close by this town. Enjoy Ada! The salty city. Akosombo - Often labeled as the city of light, Akosombo houses Ghana’s main source of hydroelectric power, The Akosombo Dam. The dam serves as both a source of power and a great tourist attraction for families who are interested in spending some of their vacation time learning about the richness of Ghana and the operations of the dam. The Town is also close to the Volta Lake which is also a great tourist attraction where families can journey over the lake via a ferry, taking pictures and enjoying the scenery. Great hotels and apartments are also available here where families can relax and have some great time discussing family issues while working on the love and family bond. Elmina - When visitors come to Ghana, a great place to stop by is Elmina. Similarly, any Ghanaian looking to take a weekend trip away from their homes can take a tour of Elmina (or St George's) Castle. The castle possesses great history as a major trans-Atlantic slave hub. Elmina is located along Ghana's central coast. It is just a few miles (12 km) west of Cape Coast Castle. Slave trade was not the purpose for which the castle was built; it started as a trading post for gold and other wares. Legend has it that the name "Elmina" emanates from the Portuguese name for this coast "Da Costa de el Mina de Ouro" (The Coast of Gold Mines). Once at Elmina, you can enjoy the beautiful beaches, indigenous food and lovely music and dance from the very funny yet welcoming people here. A great place to take the children to learn more about Ghanaian history, culture and heritage whiles having fun and relaxing. Paga - Very popular for the crocodiles, this Northern town is a great getaway destination for families who want to travel for a great weekend of bonding and rehabilitation. The Paga crocodile pond is a tourist destination that charms a lot of tourists when they are told the story of the protracted mutual co-existence between the indigenes of Paga and their friendly crocodiles. How can man live with crocodiles without brutalities? Paga serves that answer. A trip to the pond, a very vigorous horse ride and a lecture about the history of the town makes Paga a great choice for a weekend family bonding. Other tourist attractions close by are the Mole National Park and the Salaga Slave Market which are in the Northern region and can be visited either on the way to or from Paga.

Ghana ' s economic prospects still bright - Jon Benjamin

British High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin, says he is confident of a rebound in the Ghanaian economy if what he refers to as the right decisions are made.

This is contrary to doubts of some following current economic challenges facing the country.

According to Jon Benjamin, Ghana has huge potentials which should turn round the fortunes of the country when put into effective use.

“Obviously there have been difficulties in Ghana’s macro economy; that was why the IMF came and the ideal decision was made to bring about greater macroeconomic discipline in the management of the economy,” he explained.

In addition, the High Commissioner was highly hopeful that economic gains attained a couple of years back are achievable this time round.

This, he stated should translate in reducing poverty levels and reduce the increasing unemployment rates.

“We hope that Ghana’s economy continues its impressive growth rates. It is able for the country to reach again, the heights it attained between the years of 2009 and 2011 in terms of growth; to the benefit of everybody in Ghana. This will also be beneficial in poverty alleviation and obviously for the purpose of creating jobs for young people since that is one of the most important outputs of any economy.”

Mr. Benjamin spoke to Citi Business News at the sidelines of a breakfast meeting to discuss the impact of the decision of the UK to leave the EU on trade and other economic decisions of economies including developing ones like Ghana.

Jon Benjamin assured that the U.K will continue to promote trade relations between Ghana and the UK to ensure positive results in both countries.

“As a major donor partner, we want the very best for Ghana; we engage Ghana in both trade and co-operation. In addition, we contribute over a hundred million pounds yearly in various forms of development aid and we want to see the Ghanaian economy flourishing to the benefit of all Ghanaians.”

Already there have been suggestions for some changes to be made to Ghana’s diplomatic decisions.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Hannah Tetteh has given indication of a renegotiation with the country’s trade agreements with the EU.

Finance Minister, Seth Terkper has also served notice that Ghana would consider emerging markets for subsequent Eurobonds to be issued by the government.

Ghana received £11.9 millions from Europe to support decentralisation

The European Union (EU) has this month paid €11.9 million (GHC 52 mill
ion) to support decentralization in Ghana. The grant supports the decentralization reform process of the country that aims to improve service delivery at the district level. In the framework of the European Union's Financing Agreement with Ghana, the amount of GHC 52 million has been released to the treasury to support the implementation of the National Decentralisation Action Plan 2015-2019. This is the fourth instalment of a programme amounting to a total of 45 million Euros or GHC 198.3 million. The new payment of 11.9 million Euros was disbursed following the good results of decentralisation process monitored in the past 12 months. Key achievements include measures taken in favour of better dedicated staff at the District level, to strengthen local level capacity to participate in planning and budgeting, to have timely disbursement of funds from the District Assemblies Common Fund to the Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and the improvement of the functioning of the feeder roads system. On the occasion of the disbursement, William Hanna, Ambassador of the European Union said "The European Union is working with Ghana to ensure that more citizens get better services at local level such as –feeder roads or social protection. We aim to strengthen local authorities to play their role in better accountability, transparency and service delivery. “The Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies are crucial partners of central government, who should both implement and add to national development efforts. The Decentralisation reform in Ghana is making headway, and that’s why we are backing it with financial support, along with other development partners,” he added.

Ghana’s apparels industry has huge potentials - Ms Coffie

The Chief Executive Officer of Anowah Afrique Limited (AAL) Ms Catherine Nana Esi Anowah Coffie, has called for governmental support for the apparel industry to create more jobs. "The sector has huge potential to contribute towards the growth of our economy and Ghanaian companies has the expertise to produce for both the domestic and international market." Ms Coffie, who is also the Founder of the Women‘s Development Foundation (WDF), made this remarks shortly after been inducted into the West Africa Nobles Forum for her contribution towards the development of women, children and the vulnerable in society at a ceremony in Accra. Located in the Tema Free Zones enclave, AAL has the capacity to employ 2,500 workers but currently employs 200 Ghanaians and produces 500 pieces of fabrics daily for the export market.

The company also has modern state-of-the-art sewing machines and equipment for all industrial and commercial purposes.

Italy partners Ghana on clauster fisheries creation!

Ghana and Italy have agreed to promote and create fisheries clusters in the country. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed to that effect in Accra between the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and Mazara del Vallo-Cosvop of Italy. Sector Minister Sherry Ayittey initialed for Ghana while Giovanni Tumbioli, President of the Fish District of Italy signed for his country. Madam Ayittey revealed that a fish health policy to monitor the quality of fish sold to consumers will be launched at the end of this month. The fish cluster was born out of a meeting in Rome, Italy last December by the ministry of fisheries and aquaculture development with the fish development district of Italy. Italy agreed to partner Ghana to research and train in marine research in order to boost the sector to create jobs. At the signing of the MOU in Accra, sector minister, Sherry Ayittey said countries such as Norway though rich in oil resources, has a fisheries sector as the main stay of their economy. Ghana can do same when the appropriate resources and investments are channelled into the sector. President of the fish district of Italy said Ghana must take scientific research on oceans seriously. This will pave the way for further education on how to improve fields and control the fisheries sector in this age of climate change. A steering committee to oversee the activities of the collaboration was inaugurated with Madam Sherry Ayittey as the chairperson. Dubbed the blue economy, the fish clusters when started, will increase its one billion dollars in revenue annually to about 3.5 billion.

We are ready to help investors acquire land Trade Ministry

Ministry of Trade and Industry has expressed its readiness to assist foreign investors acquire lands to set up manufacturing firms in the country. The assurance comes after the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Madam Sun Baohong told Citi Business News that even though a number of Chinese investors are ready to relocate to Ghana to establish their businesses, the move could be hindered by challenges in land acquisition. Earlier, the Minister for Trade and Industry Dr. Ekwow Spio-Grabrah announced that some Chinese investors have officially written to Ghana to relocate their businesses to the country to have access to raw materials. Speaking to Citi Business News on the issue, the Deputy Communication Manager at the Ministry of Trade and Industry Nasir Ahmed Yartey explained that with the current administrative reforms, land acquisition is now less cumbersome provided an investor is ready to go through the legal processes to acquire it. “The acquisition of lands for investment purposes shouldn’t be a challenge to any investor so long as the investor goes through the appropriate route and deal with the rightful authorities,” he said. Mr. Yartey explained that the Ministry of Trade and Industry has aided investors by directing them to the Ghana Investment Promotion Center, and the Lands Commission, guiding investors on the legal procedures in acquiring lands for manufacturing purposes. “Even under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, we have the Free Zones Board and they have the power to declare any area as a Free Zone enclave to aid in setting up manufacturing companies,” he said. Mr. Yartey stated that, as part of the conditions the investor must venture into production of value added products with the intention of exporting to generate income for the country. “As I speak to you we have Free Zone enclaves in Sekondi, Takoradi and Accra. So far as the purpose of the acquisition is value addition and manufacturing with the intended purpose of export, then an investor shouldn’t have any challenges,” he stressed. He cited for example that the Lands Commission has in recent times outdoored a robust service to allow both local and foreign investors have access to lands for establishing manufacturing firms.