She said although successive governments had undertaken numerous interventions aimed at developing the region, the region was yet to exploit its overwhelming resource potentials such as rich cultural heritage, natural and human resource endowments to the benefit of the people.

She was speaking at the inauguration of committees to develop for implementation the "Central Region 2030 Development Strategy" to speed up the socio-economic development of the region.

The strategic framework document is expected to provide policy direction for the management of the region to accelerate its transformation and development agenda.

Committees to spearhead the formulation of the strategy and its implementation were inaugurated in Cape Coast last Wednesday.

The strategy document will focus on four main development dimensions namely social, economic; governance and infrastructure, environment and human settlement.

Economic growth.

Mrs Assan said the Central Regional Coordinating Council (CRCC) would work with all stakeholders to ensure the region's narrative changed to accelerated development.

She, therefore, called for full cooperation of stakeholders to make it a reality.

She urged the committees to conduct situational analysis of key topics under the strategic areas including the challenges and needs in relation to the area, identify set of goals and specific objectives, and potential strategies required for addressing the identified challenges and needs.

Odeefuo Amoakwa Buadu

For his part, the President of the Central Regional House of Chiefs, Odeefuo Amoakwa Buadu VII, said the chiefs shared in the vision of the rapid development of the region.

He encouraged the committees to work hard to make a positive change in their region.

The Chief Director of the CRCC, Mr Kingsley Agyei Boahene, noted that the relevant objectives of the regional development strategy were to focus on identifying, enhancing and ensuring the optimal use of the region's development potential through the elimination of causes that prevented its development.

He said the strategy would also look at the long-term plan of generating regional prosperity and to focus on economic growth and development, adopt programmes and projects to raise standards of living and attract the needed investment from the private sector and government.