Bibiani, (W/R), Dec.15, GNA - Management of the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme paid 459,814,000 cedis to cover medical claims of its contributors by the end of October this year. The implementation of the scheme, which began in July this year, has also led to an increase in attendance at health centres from 31,160 to 59,498 by the end of October.

Mr Kingsley Adjei Manu, District Chief Executive, announced this at a special meeting of the assembly at Bibiani on Wednesday. The two-day meeting was to discuss the 2006 budget estimates of the assembly and measures to improve revenue generation. Mr Manu said the assembly had made a tremendous stride in the implementation of the scheme, and the only district in the region to provide accommodation for staff of the Scheme. He said the assembly was constructing a one billion cedis Children's ward for the Bibiani Government hospital and training 40 Senior Secondary School graduates to serve as volunteer nurses to serve health facilities within the district.

On education, Mr Manu said a programme was on course to select five Junior Secondary Schools within the district to introduce computer education while another five schools had been earmarked for rehabilitation. He said the assembly would rehabilitate 25 boreholes within the district and take measures to phase out pan latrines and replace them with water closets. Mr Manu said 1,661 unemployed youth within the district would be employed next year in education, nursing, community protection, sanitation, waste management, afforestation, aquaculture, agriculture, tools fabrication and other vocations. He said the Government would finance the construction of 291 kilometres of feeder roads within the district, while contract had been awarded for the construction of new road to link Adupri to Basengere estimated at 609,092,000 cedis.

Mr Manu expressed concern about poor revenue mobilization and said out of the expected revenue of 3,261,646,000 cedis for 2005, the assembly was able to collect only 1,845,852,000 cedis by the end of October. The DCE appealed to the assembly members to assist the assembly identify new measures to collect revenue to help speed up the development of the district. On illegal timber logging within the district, the DCE appealed to the assembly members to submit list of chain-sawn owners and operators within their areas to the administration, to enable the assembly register them to collect revenue and also monitor their activities.