Akateng (E.R), Nov. 27, GNA - The Ministry of Fisheries has selected Akateng, Gyameni and Abotoase, fishing communities along the Volta Lake, for the provision of inland fishing ports.

The towns are also among inland fishing communities earmarked for aquaculture projects in which experts from Israel and China would soon arrive to conduct feasibility studies. The Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Mr Daniel Dugan, announced this at a durbar of the chiefs and people of Akateng in the Manya Krobo district on Saturday to mark their "Noryam" (development) festival. The festival was instituted this year to raise funds for development projects with electrification in the community as the target for this year. Mr Dugan, who commended the people for their initiative as a cost sharing concept in the provision of development projects, urged other fishing communities to emulate them.

He said his Ministry was embarking on the sale of outboard motors and fishing gear to fishermen at subsidized and flexible terms with each beneficiary society paying five million cedis deposit. He asked the people to organize themselves into societies to take advantage of the programmes to improve their production. Mr. Dugan urged them to adopt good sanitation measures and avoid setting bush fires to destroy the environment and their own well-being.

The Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Miss Sussana Mensah, in a speech read for her, assured the people that extension of electricity from Asesewa, 13 kilometres away, was receiving serious attention and asked the people to contribute 150 poles to facilitate the execution of the project, estimated at five billion cedis. She said as one of the food baskets of the region, the road network would be improved to facilitate the transportation of foodstuffs and fish.

The District Chief Executive for Manya District, Mr. David Sackite Asare, announced that the assembly was to provide 300 low-tension poles to supplement the contribution of the local community in the extension of electricity to the town since it served as one of the major revenue generation sources.

He said the community was to benefit from the Small Town Water Project for next year as well as the construction of a block for the L/A JSS under the European Union Micro Project.

Mrs. Marilyn Amponsah-Anang, a Director of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MOWAC), urged the people to help check child trafficking from the area and do away with cultural practices which discriminate against women's involvement in decision making. Nene Asafoatse Ofei, who chaired the function, appealed for the rehabilitation of the road network in the area, potable water supply and the early execution of the electrification project to promote small-scale ventures.