Government to assist farmers to increase production

Apam (C/R), May 23, GNA - Government is to establish tractor service centres in some selected districts including Gomoa West to offer tractor services to farmers to increase production.

In addition, some farmers would be supported by government to acquire their own tractors at subsidised prices and at a hire purchase. Mr. Theophilus Aidoo-Mensah, Gomoa West District Chief Executive, announced this at the third ordinary meeting of the third session of the Fifth Assembly at Apam.

Mr. Aidoo-Mensah, who is also the President of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG), said the tractor services would boost the Youth in Agriculture programme the district had embarked upon. He urged chiefs to offer land, at reasonable terms, for more youth to be roped into the programme.

The DCE said the National Youth Employment Programme was on course and the district was operating four modules, namely, Community Teaching Assistants, Water and Sanitation Workers, Zoil Eco-Brigade and Health Extension Workers.

He announced that 70 out of the 128 Community Teaching Assistants who had served their mandated two-year term on the programme and were dispensed of their services had been re-engaged by the Ghana Education Service, the remaining 58 were awaiting approval for their re-engagement.

Mr. Aidoo-Mensah announced that some measures put in place by the Assembly concerning revenue generation were yielding positive results. He said last year the Assembly collected GHC 105,446.90 as internal generated funds as against GHC 82,034.02 collected in 2008. The DCE said as at 30th April 2010, an amount of GHC 41,726 being 18.3 per cent of the estimated budget of GHC 230,175.50 for 2010 had been collected.

He said in 2009 only GHC 36,239.40 had been collected as at April ending. Mr Aidoo-Mensah, who is an Accountant by profession, said a careful analysis of the 2010 trial balances and recurrent budget revealed that some of the revenue items were over estimated. He briefed the Assembly on the various levels of completion of on-going projects in the district had reached. Mr. Fred Oscar Abban, Presiding Member, said District Level Elections would be held in October this year while and the Voters Register would be re-opened next month and urged assembly members to educate their people on the Electoral Commission's time table for the elections. They must also involve themselves in the programme.