Regional News of Friday, 1 August 2003

Source: GNA

Bibiani District Assembly preparing a documentary on district

Bibiani, Aug 1, GNA- The Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai District Assembly in the Western Region is preparing a documentary to show the potential of the district, Mr Christopher Addai, the District Chief Executive, has said.

Addressing the second meeting of the first session of the assembly at Bibiani on Thursday, he said an investment and tourism development plan was also being developed as part of efforts to promote the image of the assembly and attract investment.

Mr Addai said the assembly has also presented an investment framework to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Presidential Special Initiatives (PSIs) that identified seven projects in the district.

The Ministry, he said, will assist the district to implement the proposals and facilitate the establishment of the proposed industries. Mr Addai said following the decision by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to withhold its 20 percent share of the Common Fund pending full recovery of outstanding debt, the assembly has sent defaulters of the Poverty Alleviation Fund to court.

He said rumours that the action was a political vendetta was only a ploy to gain public sympathy and that the public needed to know that if defaulters did not pay back the assembly cannot provide the services and projects.

Mr Addai told the assembly that management was working on the modalities for the establishment of the Town and Area Councils and that nominations to the councils had been completed and interviews to select the council's staff had been concluded.

The DCE called on the Assembly to enact a byelaw that will make it an offence for parents and guardians to refuse to enrol their children and wards in school.

On the activities of illegal chainsaw operations in the district, he said the situation was gaining alarming proportions and appealed to the Western Regional Minister to institute periodic military checks and to personally monitor the prosecution of offenders.