The 10-year sister relationship between the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and the Almere City of Holland has deepened with the launch of the second phase of relations. The past years had seen co-operation between the two cities on education and sanitation and the second phase would be on software projects, economic and cultural relations. The Mayor of Almere Municipality, Mrs Annemarie Jaristma, said this when she led a delegation of 15 comprising assembly members and members from the Chamber of Commerce from Holland to pay a courtesy call on Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene and Mr Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, Ashanti Regional Minister in Kumasi on Wednesday. The Mayor indicated that the first phase covered some identified non-governmental organizations and school children and stressed that with the success of the projects, the second phase would not only succeed but would also deepen the relations. The Asantehene noted that the district assembly concept was all about socio-economic development. Otumfuo Osei Tutu II pointed out that taxation was the basis for development but it was unfortunate that the private sector was not contributing much to this and expressed the hope that the data base established through the relations would go a long way to address the problem. He advised the delegation to be good ambassadors of the KMA and encourage people in their municipality to bring their money to invest in Kumasi to help in the development of the city. The Regional Minister expressed the hope that the relationship would help in the provision of better service and projects to speed up the development of the country. Madam Patricia Appiagyei, Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, who led the delegation, emphasized that the exchange programmes had brought a number of development to the Assembly. Source: GNA