A DELEGATION from Ghana arrived in Worcester this week.

During a busy 10-day visit, the group will sit in on seminars about economic development, procurement, master planning and the role of women in business, as well as visit two city schools, a garden centre, local businesses and Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce.

The city council is assisting Adenta – a town about 10km north of Accra in Ghana – with its local economic development programme and this is a return visit after Worcester council chiefs went to Ghana last year.

Councillor David Tibbutt, cabinet member for urban renaissance and who went out to Ghana, said: “We regard this very much as a partnership project having already helped to establish the administrative infrastructure for economic development and in particular for the role of women.

“The accumulation of basic data – demographics, employment, businesses – is crucial for the future measurement of success.

“Now we are hoping to expand our assistance into a master plan exercise. We need to maintain a long-term vision.”

The visit is part of the Good Practice Scheme which is managed by the Commonwealth Local Government Forum, funded by the Department for International Development.