The masterplan of the facility, being funded through a public-private partnership, will comprise a 30, 000-seater-capacity auditorium, gift shops, restaurants, hotels and parking space, upon completion.
The entertainment enclave will host trade exhibitions, conferences, outdoor shows, music concerts and festivals.
During a visit to the project site on Monday, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia said the tourism and creative sectors were key pillars for economic growth of every country, hence government’s determination to ensure the execution of the project.
“It’s been a project successive government have not been able to execute it. It is a much-needed project because the tourism and creative sectors are the key pillars for the growth of the economy,” the Vice President stated.
Dr Bawumia, therefore, noted that for the tourism and creative sectors to play a pivotal role in the country’s development agenda, there must be concerted efforts by way of putting up the necessary infrastructure to actualise the vision.
Ghana, he said, was an attractive destination for the tourism and creative arts industry and cited the “December in Ghana” and “Beyond the Return” concerts, organised every year during the Christmas festivities as classic examples of outdoor events that could fetch the country huge foreign inflows.
The Vice President expressed satisfaction over the progress of work at the site and commended the Board and Management of the Ghana Trade Fair Centre for doing a yeoman’s job, so far,
Dr Bawumia reiterated his plans to offload three per cent of the government’s annual expenditure, totaling GHS 30 billion to the private sector under his presidency, to reduce the government’s financial burden.
That policy, he said, would create fiscal space for the government to channel taxpayers’ money to other productive sectors of the economy.
Dr Agnes Adu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ghana Trade Fair Centre, in her remarks, said upon completion of the centre, it would be one of the vibrant entertainment enclaves in the country and the Sub-region.
She said the country’s creative industry had lost its vibe because of the non-availability of a space to host big events with the current largest event centre having only 3000-seater capacity.
She believed that the new multi-functional entertainment hub upon completion would ignite the country’s creative and tourism industry.
Dr Adu said all the necessary amenities such as water, electricity and fibre connectivity have been connected to the site.
She said a portion of the site’s 100-acre land had been allocated to the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA) Secretariat to be used as permanent offices.
GNA
