EU Micro- Project provides 904 infrastructure facilities in Ghana

Gomoa Fomena (C/R) Aug. 27, GNA- Six regions have so far benefited from 904 infrastructure projects, under the sixth European Union (EU) Micro- Project.

The Central Region, which was one of the project beneficiary, had since July 2006 and June 2009 received 180 amenities at an estimated cost of GH¢ 4,535,370.

The EU contributed about GH¢ 3,500,000, representing 75 per cent of the project cost, while the beneficiary communities also added about GH¢ 1,200,000, which made up for the remaining 25 per cent. Mr Kwabina Dankyi Darfor, National Programme Manager of the Micro- Project Management Unit of the EU, made this known at the inauguration of a community clinic at Fomena in the Gomoa West District. Mr Darfor said the EU provided about GH¢ 17,600 for the project, which was estimated to cost GH¢ 23,600, while the District Assembly offered the residual GH¢ 5,900.

He said the EU project supported 35 communities in 17 districts of the Region with about GH¢ 242,000 to implement income generating projects.

The Programme Manager said the recipient communities were allowed to select their projects according to their felt needs. Mr Darfor noted that the EU adopted the approach to encourage communities to identify; select and manage their own projects in order to strengthen the decentralisation process. He said: "The underling principle behind the programme; however is that every beneficiary community must be willing to offer communal labour, in addition to the provision of sand and stones." The projects comprised 293 classroom blocks, 50 day care centres, 82 teacher quarters', 101 Rural Clinics/CHPS (Community Health and Planning Services) Compounds and 27 Nurses Quarters'. The rest are 189 vault chamber public toilets, 90 culverts, 47 warehouses, four libraries, 47 boreholes, an Information Communication and Technology centre, a feeding, craft centre and 237 income generating centres.

He said all the projects were funded from the 25 million -Euro granted Ghana under the Ninth European Development Fund Facility for 2006 - 2009.

Mrs Ama Benyiwa-Doe, Regional Minster said the EU Project was the outcome of government's policy to collaborate and form partnership with private institutions and non-governmental organisations, which shared the development aspirations of Ghanaians.

She said the project was able to support other developing countries because citizens of those countries lived up to their social responsibilities by honouring their tax obligations. Mrs Benyiwa-Doe appealed to Ghanaians to facilitate the national development agenda by regularly paying their taxes to their respective assemblies.

She said the best gratitude that the beneficiaries could show to the EU was to cultivate a good maintenance culture to ensure the sustainability of the projects.

Mr Theophilus Aidoo-Mensah, District Chief Executive said the area needed 28 CHPS compounds to enhance health delivery. He said so far the District Assembly had managed to provide six of the compounds.

He said malaria continued to be the topmost disease in the District and said the District assembly had intensified efforts to combat the menace through collaboration with the local Health Directorate. Nana Botwey II, Mankrado of Fomena expressed gratitude to the EU and the District Assembly for the projects and pledged to ensure that the facilities were well maintained.