Government committed to building sound rural economy

Edubiase (C/R), May 2, GNA - The Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms. Hanna Tetteh on Friday re-affirmed government's commitment to build a vibrant rural economy to help address unemployment, poverty and rural-urban migration in Ghana.

She said consequently, government has instituted the Rural Enterprise Project (REP), under which Rural Technology Facilities (RTF) were being set up in the rural areas.

Ms. Tetteh explained that the measure was to provide opportunities for the transfer of appropriate technology to the rural area to boost agro-processing and other entrepreneurial ventures. She was speaking at the inauguration of a RTF project valued GH¢170,000 at Edubiase in the Assin South District. Thirty people, who had undergone training in hairdressing, shoemaking, auto-electrical and mechanical works, carpentry, dressmaking, masonry and black smith works, were given tools worth between 400 Ghana cedis and one thousand Ghana Cedis to start work in the district.

Ms. Tetteh said the Project was being supported with funds from the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the African Development Bank, adding that so far 66 districts nation-wide were benefiting from the Project. The project would among others train rural master craft persons, traditional and technical apprentices, students of polytechnics and other technical institutions and provide technological support in Assin North, Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese, Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa and Twifo-Hemang-Lower-Denkyira districts. Ms. Tetteh said the REP had since its inception in 2003, trained 163,000 people, 89,000 of whom were women while 86,300 had been trained in enterprises such as soap making, batik-tie/dye production and snail and grass cutter rearing.

She said that the banks involved in the project had so far disbursed about GH¢1,500,00 credit to micro and small scale enterprises while as at March this year, graduate apprentices in 45 districts received start-up kits. Ms. Tetteh called on the youth to avail themselves of the opportunity being offered them to acquire skills to better their lot to help eradicate poverty which she said was endemic in the rural areas. The Central Regional Minister, Mrs. Ama Benyiwa-Doe expressed satisfaction that so far the Assin South Project benefited about 1,400 people and said that more than 250 businesses had been established and 360 jobs created.

She expressed the hope that the region which had been rated one of the poorest regions in the country would benefit from the Project. Mrs. Sabina Appiah-Kubi, District Chief Executive for Assin South, said that the Project had significantly improved the lot of the people in the area and advised the youth to participate in the training. The Project Coordinator of the REP, Mr Kwasi Attah-Antwi said that apart from the installation of equipment, office equipment had been provided and a Pick-Up vehicle would be procured to support the Edubiase Facility.