EU spends $125m on projects

The European Union (EU) has spent a total of 130 million Euro, about $125 million on various micro-economic development projects in the country.

The facility went into the areas of human development programmes, private sector, cocoa disease control programmes, education and micro projects.

Dr Kwaku Osafo, Project Manager of EU, announced this in a press briefing after a six-member delegation headed by Mr Charles Brook, Ambassador of the EU, paid a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the Manhyia Palace on Wednesday.

The visit was to brief the Asantehene on the functions and operations of the EU in the country and Ashanti in particular.

Dr Osafo said out of the amount, $25 million went into the finance of micro economic projects in the country which were implemented through the district assemblies.

He said in all, six regions, Ashanti, Central, Volta, Northern, Upper West and East regions have benefited from the construction of various infrastructures such as clinics, boreholes and market centres.

Dr Osafo said an estimated 2000 projects will be completed under the micro scheme by the end of 2004 and that, nearly 1,850 of such projects have been executed.

He said EU has spent over ?5 billion on the 420 completed projects in the Ashanti Region under the third and fourth phases of the scheme.

Mr Charles Brook commended the Asantehene about his vision for the region and the country for championing the cause of the falling educational standards by instituting the Otumfuo’s Educational Fund.

He called on other traditional rulers to emulate the ideas of the Asantehene to improve the educational standard in the country.

Mr Charles Brook said EU will support Otumfuo’s vision, on the health sector and improve the country’s road network system.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu urged the EU to intensify their developmental activities among the rural folks since they constitute the bulk of the population.

He explained that by doing that, the EU will help raise the standard of living of the people at the grassroots level and this will go a long way to check rural urban drift.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu called on the EU to offer technical training to Ghanaians to enable them to assume full responsibility when the EU staff leave.

The EU presented ?500,000 cash and other customary drinks towards the Otumfuo’s Educational Trust Fund.