Winneba, June 12, GNA - The Central Regional Office of the DANIDA-sponsored Community Water and Sanitation (CWSA) has embarked on a month-long programme aimed at establishing branches of the agency in all the 12 districts in the region by the end of the June. Mr. Francis K. Awindaogo, Regional Director of the agency, announced this at the inauguration of the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Office of the organisation at Winneba on Wednesday.

A three-man working team comprising of a representative from the Department of Rural Development, the Environmental Sanitation Department, and the Works Superintendent both of the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Assembly was formally introduced to the participants who took part in the inaugural ceremony.

According to Mr. Awindaogo, the programme is designed to assist the 12 district assemblies in the region provided affordable water and sanitation facilities to people in rural communities in their areas of jurisdiction, adding that the programme would be phased out in December 2008. He said prospective beneficiary communities in the region would be required to pay some percentage of the total cost of water and sanitation projects that would be given them after they have been effectively sensitised on the programme by the officers of the District-Based Water and Sanitation Agency and fully accepted the programme.

Mr. Awindaogo said the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, Ajumako-Anyan-Essiam, and Mfantsiman Districts have already had their parts of the programme launched, adding that the Regional Directorate of the CWSA would do everything possible to ensure that all the 12 districts got their branches launched by June 30, to enable them to commence business. Launching the Awutu-Effutu-Senya Office, Captain Steve Kwamena Armah, District Chief Executive for the area, expressed his appreciation to DANIDA for the project and promised to work towards the successful operation of the local office of the CWSA.

Mr. Kwesi Esseku, the Presiding Member of the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Assembly, who chaired the inauguration ceremony, charged members of the sensitisation team and the members of the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Assembly who attended the function to work hard for better results. He warned that any appointed officer of the agency caught joking with his work would be drastically dealt with. 12 June 04