Nyinahin (Ash), Dec 24, GNA - The newly created Atwima-Mponua District Assembly has paid 200 million cedis out of the 412 million cedis being its counterpart funding towards some Social Investment Fund (SIF) projects in the district.

The assembly has also paid 15 million cedis as another counterpart funding for the construction of 150 boreholes for some communities in the district.

These were contained in an address read for Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister, who is the acting District Chief Executive, at the meeting of the assembly at Nyinahin on Wednesday. He said the new district assembly was embarking on a district wide campaign to educate the people on the need to pay their taxes and special development levies.

Mr Boafo expressed surprise that in spite of the presence of forest guards, a combined police and military personnel in the area, large quantities of illegal timber still find their way to Kumasi passing through all the barriers on the way.

He appealed to the forest guards and the combined police and military task force to be up to their responsibilities by arresting all illegal timber contractors.

Mr Boafo urged the assembly members to intensify the education on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to ensure its successful implementation in the district.

He said the district had taken delivery of 50 concrete poles from the Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Council to support the Self-Help Electrification Projects (SHEP) in the district.

The assembly, Mr Boafo said, had also released 1,000 bags of cement and 15 packets of roofing sheets to some communities to support their projects.