The Ghana Tourism Authority in collaboration with Birim Central Municipal Assembly and Akyem Kotoku Traditional Council has developed a business plan to develop the Big Tree tourist site.

The Big Tree is one of the major tourists attractions in the Municipality believed to be the biggest tree in West Africa, measuring 12 metres in circumference and 66.5 metres in height.

The Big Tree is located at Esen Epan Forest Reserve, one of nine forest reserves in the area.

This was made known by the Municipal Coordinating Director, Mr Owusu Frempong- Boadu to Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Akim Oda.

Mr Frempong-Boadu said, plans are underway to involve the private sector in the development of all tourists sites in the Municipality.

He said under the Private Public Partnership(PPP), the Municipal Assembly had provided space at the Akim Oda main lorry station for three private companies to build 144 lockable stores under build, operate and transfer basis to boost commercial trading activities in the area.

He said the Municipality authorities are doing all they could to undertake a lot of development projects to lift the living standard of the people through the provision of social amenities such  as school blocks, health facilitates and roads both at the urban and rural settlements.

Mr Frempong-Boadu said the delay in the release of the Municipalitys share of the District Assembly Common Fund had been a major challenge to the development efforts.

The GNA was at the Municipality under the Media Auditing and Tracking of Development Project programme  funded by STAR-Ghana, a multi-donor pooled organisation.

The project aims at  improving transparency and accountability of district assemblies to people in six districts in the Eastern and the Brong-Ahafo Regions and is expected to increase public participation in local governance.

GNA