Accompong Town to Benefit from Economic Opportunities Programme –Grange

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange says her Ministry will be expanding its Economic Opportunities Workshop programme to include the Maroon community of Accompong.

Minister Grange was speaking in the community at a ceremony on January 6 to mark the 280th anniversary of the signing of the Peace Treaty between the Accompong Town Maroons and the British Government.

“We created an economic programme for the Maroon communities that surround the Blue and John Crow Mountains and we are now expanding that programme to include Accompong as we prepare the dossier for the Cockpit Country to be designated a World Heritage Site.”

The Economic Opportunities Workshop was created to provide residents living in and around the Blue and John Crow Mountains World Heritage Site with the tools, resources and information to take advantage of the Blue and John Crow Mountains being declared a World Heritage Site.

The Minister noted that the celebration which is held annually and also recognizes the birthday of the historic Maroon Leader Captain Kojo, “must not be just for revelry or feel good, but must also bring financial revenues to our people.”

“My officers will be coming to work along with the Colonel and his team and the community to provide training and the guidance that you will need to assist in making this celebration an event that will be well-organised, proper infrastructure put in place and proper promotion, so that this can be marketed to the world through the Ministry of Tourism,” Minister Grange said.