The Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Z. Amenowode, on Thursday launched this year's Volta Trade, Investment and Cultural Fair in Accra to woo investors to harness the great potentials of the region. He said the region was richly endowed in economic, cultural, agricultural and industrial resources that needed to be exposed and tapped. The 2010 Volta Fair under the theme: "Volta Region: Investors' Destination", comes off in Ho from November 22 to December 5. It is intended to showcase the region's great potentials, marketing the creativity and ingenuity of its people and attracting the vital investment and partnership that the region needs. It is also aimed at promoting the agricultural development in the areas of food production, agro-based industries and agribusinesses, promote the region's potential for the development of tourism, direct attention to the role of the private sector and explore the opportunities for local and foreign investments. Activities lined up for the fair includes exhibitions, business-to-business sessions and match making, seminars and presentations, product launch, company, district and municipal assembly days, and cultural expos. Mr Amenowode explained that last year's fair was a great success and saw remarkable investment in the areas of salt production, hospitality industry and agro-industries and "it is our hope that this year's will be bigger". The Regional Minister appealed to stakeholders to participate and patronize the fair for the development and enhancement of the region's great and rich potentials. Colonel Cyril Necku (Rtd), Deputy Regional Minister, noted that the region had numerous resources that remained untapped which were in the areas of agriculture and tourism. He said the region's informal sector provided about 82.9 per cent of all employment whilst the formal provided 10.4 per cent. "The private sector therefore constitutes the major key to economic growth and associated developments in the region," he said, and called for a close partnership with the private sector for the development of the region and the people. Source: GNA