Accra, Sept 14, GNA - The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment (MLGRDE) on Thursday presented vehicles and computers with accessories valued at 736,300 dollars to the 28 newly created districts under the Community Based Rural Development Project (CBRDP).
The World Bank, Agence Francaise de Develppement (AFD) and the Government of Ghana fund the CBRDP.
In all 28 pickup vehicles; 28 computers with accessories including Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) were presented to District Chief Executives (DCEs) of the 28 assemblies at a ceremony in Accra.
The Ministry also presented 20 motorbikes valued at 500 million cedis to four departments and agencies under the Ministry to facilitate their work.
The Departments include Parks and Gardens, Community Development, Town and Country Planning and Birth and Deaths Registry Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, Minister of MLGRDE, who made the presentation, said plans were under way for the creation of new districts to give meaning to the decentralization concept of bringing democracy to the doorstep of the people.
He noted that some districts were still too large for effective management, hence the need for splitting them up.
Mr Boateng said to ensure that the creation of the new districts out of the existing ones were not done in a haphazard manner, a three-member taskforce had been set up by the Ministry to investigate requests and make the necessary proposals to the Electoral Commission.
Mr Boateng said the Ministry was also considering the establishment of a pool of vehicles, motorbikes and bicycles for each district for use by assembly members to deepen the decentralization process. "During most of my rounds assembly members have complained about the lack of motivation and incentives in the discharge of their duty, especially in areas where assembly members have to walk long distances to reach their communities.
"For such people, we are considering putting a few vehicles, motorbikes and bicycles in a pool within their district for their use," he said.
He said the issue of the requisite human resource was still a problem in most of the new districts and that the Government was working round the clock to tackle the issue.
Mr Boateng charged the DCEs to take care of the vehicles, by maintaining them regularly and saying; "everyone must begin to take responsibility where the decentralization programme is concerned". Mr Kwesi Osei Agyepong, DCE, Atiwa District of the Eastern Region, on behalf of the DCEs thanked the Minister for the gesture and promised that the vehicles would be maintained and put to good use.
MR Ebo Sey, Acting National Coordinator of CBRDP, expressed the hope that the vehicles and computer would be used for the purpose for which they were given to ensure the full realization of the project objectives of building and strengthening capacities of rural communities to deliver services and manage resources among other things. 14 Sept. 06
