The President of Tour Guides Association of Ghana, Mr Nkunu Akyea has expressed concern about lack of places of convenience along major roads and at vantage points in cities and urban centres. He noted that lack of these facilities had caused a nightmare to tourists and tour guides when leading visitors to places of interest whether within cities and urban centres or travelling in the country. Mr Akyea made the observation when guiding a tour organized by Ghana Tourist Board (GTB) for Members of Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade and Tourism, Private Tour Operators, Executives of Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF) and staff of GTB to selected attraction sites in the Central and Western Regions. The committee led by Mr Joseph Boakye Danqauah, Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North and the other groups were expected to visit Kakum National Park and Elmina Castle in the Central Region and Nzulenzu in the Western Region. Mr Akyea explained that even though there was a law requesting managements of filling stations to allow visitors and travellers to use their places of convenience, they refused to comply because the public sometimes took advantage of the law to misuse such facilities. He said: "When we are on a tour like this, we only pray that nobody should have the urge to respond to nature’s call or we will have a problem". Mr Akyea noted that even though most of the filling stations allowed visitors and travellers to use their facilities, they were an eyesore adding, "sometimes people living near the filling stations use their facilities as permanent places of convenience". Mr Edwin Owusu-Mensah, Deputy Executive Director in-charge of Operations at GTB said the board was aware of such a problem but as an implementation agency they could not venture into the building of places of convenience. He said to encourage private sector participation in such ventures the board instituted the highway rest stop concept to encourage people to establish such facilities along the highways. "Currently we have about four rest stops on the main Accra-Kumasi highway and about four on the Accra-Cape Coast highway. The board has toured the country for other potential places," he added. Mr Owusu-Mensah said the board instituted a fee of five Ghana pesewas for urinating and 10 Ghana cedis to attend nature’s call. He said the tourism sector would soon set up a micro finance project to finance such projects by the private sector. Commenting on the lack of places of convenience in the cities, Mr Owusu-Mensah said the board was negotiating with the Ghana@50 Secretariat to provide mobile places of convenience at vantage points to enhance the current situation. He said the board would in addition assist in erecting sign posts to educate the public about the availability of such facilities. Source: GNA