SAEMA to regain past glory

Story: Moses Dotsey
Aklorbortu, Takoradi
06/03/08

THE twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi in the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly of the Western Region will soon regain its past glory as a vibrant commercial and industrial centre.
This is as a result of the discovery of oil in the Ahanta West District which has attracted various financial institutions and hospitality operators to the metropolis.
On a regular basis investors, including those players in the hospitality and financial sector, visit the metropolis and the port of Takoradi to enquire about the various possible investment opportunities.
At the moment the financial institutions which already have offices in the region, especially in the metropolis, are introducing or repackaging their products to acceptable standards to attract customers.
Accra, Tema and Kumasi used to be the financial hub where institutions clamoured for customers. Now the financial market in the metropolis and the region are opening up daily.
Almost all the financial institutions which hitherto were strongly based in Accra, Kumasi and Tema are here in Takoradi. Among them are the giants such as the Standard Chartered Bank, Ghana Commercial Bank and Ecobank which have moved beyond the metropolis to other parts of the region.
In the hospitality sector, the residents are calling on the investors who have taken over hotels such as the Atlantic and the Harbour View hotels to expedite action and bring them back to life.
To them, when the hotels were functioning, many activities were held , which brought so much life to the metropolis. Even though economic activities have declined in the metropolis, the discovery of oil has brought back the hope that the vibrant economic boom which was characteristic of the metropolis in the past will come back.
In the past when we talked about the Harbour View it was a real place for people to relax but today it is the den of prostitutes. “Sekondi/Takoradi can feel the goodness of its glory in the immediate future,” they hoped.
The metropolis is strategically located and it can also be described as a central point where travellers to all parts of the region make a stop.
The metropolis deserves real attention and it will not be out of place for it to have a master plan to guide investors to ensure that the people enjoy the opportunities that will follow the oil discovery.
Accommodation is a major problem of residents of the twin-city. Many workers in the metropolis are living in transit quarters and guest houses due to the limited accommodation facilities.