SEND calls for transparent, equitable distribution of HPIC funds

Accra, June 8, GNA - SEND Foundation, a civil society organization monitoring the participatory process of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Fund, on Wednesday called for more transparency and equitable distribution of the Fund by government institutions handling them.

A statement issued in Accra and signed by Mr Samuel Zan, Director of the Foundation, said it had since 2001, through the HIPC Watch Project and Advocacy for More Efficient and Fair Distribution of the HIPC Fund, mobilised civil society organisations to monitor the Fund. A Report of the findings from monitoring the implementation of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy I (GPRS I) by the civil society would be launched in Accra on Wednesday.

The Report, which, would serve as a contribution to the formulation of GPRS II, would share the experiences of the public drawn from rural and impoverished communities, which were the primary beneficiaries of the GPRS. The experiences described in the report, the statement said, also pointed to the need for policies that ensured the development of infrastructure to meet the needs of the disabled, while focusing on the important intervention to empower women through support for their productive activities.

It noted that the Report also made suggestions and recommendations on the alternative policy option, including the need for a targeted approach towards the model school system under the Education Sector, the need for education on the exemption policy of the Ghana Health Service to ensure better public understanding of the mechanisms of the scheme. It added that the Report called for a more holistic approach to Northern Sector infrastructure development and a recommendation in the area of application of resources for supporting micro-finance projects.