World Bank, AFD support district assemblies

Tepa (Ash), March 31, GNA - Every district in the country is to benefit from a 72-million-dollar World Bank and AFD of the African Development Bank funded Community-Based Rural Development Projects (CBRDP).

Mr Salifu Mahama, Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo Zonal Co-ordinator of the project, who disclosed this at a day's workshop for 50 participants drawn from the Ahafo-Ano North and South districts in Ashanti at Tepa, said the overall goal of the project was to reduce poverty and enhance quality of life of beneficiaries.

He mentioned institutional strengthening and capacity building, infrastructure for economic development, rural enterprises and learning centres, infrastructure for social and human development and natural resources management as the five main components of the project.

He said under the four-year project, which began in January this year, communities with a population of 5,000 or less would benefit from feeder roads, education and health facilities, market and stalls, nutrition centres, sanitation facilities, boreholes and hand-dug wells, rural enterprises development and learning centres.

Other facilities include small-scale irrigation projects, rehabilitation and construction of dams, fish landing sites, slaughterhouses and water pumps.

Mr Mahama mentioned organised groups and associations, NGOs, district assemblies, area councils and individuals as another beneficiaries to be assisted with loans and grants to acquire agro-processing equipment such as corn mills, rice mills, sugar cane crushers, rice and maize shellers, fish ponds, smoking facilities, canoes and outboard motors, bicycles and tricycles with trailers. He said all potential beneficiaries are expected to operate bank account for six months and have to contribute 10 per cent of the total cost of investment, adding that, since the project is community initiated and demand-driven approach, beneficiaries would be directly involved in decision making and monitoring of the projects.

Mr Akwasi Adu Poku, the Ahafo-Ano North District Chief Executive urged the participants to go back and impart the knowledge they have acquired to other officers and communities, who will be involved in the execution of the project.

Participants included DCEs, Co-ordinating Directors and heads of departments drawn from the two districts.

Under the CBRDP, the country has been divided into four zones with Upper East, Upper West and Northern regions forming zone one, Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo, zone two, Western and Central regions, zone three and zone four comprise Greater-Accra, Eastern and Volta regions.