West Akyem District completes 40 school projects.

Asamankese (E/R), Jan. 27, GNA - The District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) allocation for the West Akyem District Assembly had been increased from 2.07 billion cedis to 5.5 billion cedis, the District Chief executive, Mr Umar Amoah has announced.

This, he noted, had enabled the assembly to complete 40 school projects, three bungalows and three quarters to house staff of the assembly.

Addressing the District Assembly at Asamankese on Monday, Mr Amoah said in support of community initiatives, 1,521 bags of cement and 145 packets of roofing sheets have been purchased and distributed to 78 communities from the Common Fund.

The DCE said 20 feeder roads covering 213.9 kilometres were being resurfaced to provide easy access to the farming communities. He said the much-awaited rehabilitation of roads within the central business district of Asamankese was in progress under the 'Urban Five' at the cost of 314 billion cedis, saying other roads outside the project area were also being reshaped.

Mr Amoah said 1,000 cocoa farmers have been supplied with fertilizer and other chemicals under the HI-Technology to increase their yields.

On the President's Special Initiative on cassava, the District Chief Executive said farmers in the district have taken up the challenge and 248 of them have cultivated 433 acres as at the end of 2003. On job creation, Mr Amoah said following the registration of unemployed youth in 2002, 120 registered youth were trained and provided skills in snail and grasscutter rearing in November, last year, adding that in addition, a number of youths were also trained in various income-generation ventures at the Integrated Community Centre for Employable Skills (ICCES) at Osenase.

He said the St. Mary's vocational Institute at Asamankese had also registered some youth who would take advantage of the Skill Training and Employment Placement (STEP).