Somanya (E/R), Dec. 19, GNA - A factory of the Densu Starch Company Limited is to be located at Apersua in the Yilo Krobo District to process cassava produced under the President's Special Initiative (PSI) in selected districts in the Eastern and the Volta Regions.

The Yilo Krobo District Chief Executive, Sub. Lt. Christian Kofi Tettey (rtd.) who announced this at the Third Meeting of the District Assembly on Thursday said the selection of the site for the factory was based on its strategic location among other indicators.

From the Eastern Region, the factory would be fed with cassava to be produced from the Manya Krobo, Akuapem North, New Juaben and Fanteakwa districts.

Sub. Lt. Tettey, who had earlier led members of the Assembly to visit the 108-acre PSI cassava farm cultivated by the Assembly inter-cropped with 4,000 mango seedlings, said cassava sticks from the farm would be supplied to interested farmers in the district during the next farming season.

On the revenue position of the Assembly, the DCE said as at September 30, this year, the total revenue collected was 662,449,027 cedis representing 80 per cent of the 814,650,000 cedi approved target for the year.

According to him, the financial records of the Assembly indicated that rates, fees and fines had exceeded their targets by over 80 per cent and attributed this to increase in the revenue collected from the markets, which he said, also resulted in the payment of more commission to collectors.

Sub. Lt. Tettey, however, expressed regret that the proposed property rate approved in August this year, had to be reduced by 50 per cent after two months of collection following reports of a planned demonstration by a group of tenants and traders against the rate even though many landlords were paying up.

He cautioned the Assembly members against inciting the public against the Assembly should they disagree with a collective decision taken by the House to avoid creating confusion and insecurity in the district.

Sub. Lt. Tettey announced that 23 communities were to be hooked to the national grid next year under the Self-Help Electrification Programme (SHEP), while a five-year District Water and Sanitation Plan had been drawn to address the water and sanitation problems and achieve sustained poverty alleviation in the district.

On the crusade against the HIV/AIDS, the DCE announced that with the assistance of the UNICEF, a donors' conference would be organized in the district next year.

To facilitate the implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the district, he said the Executive Committee of the Assembly had recommended a loan of 80 million cedis from the Common Fund to support the scheme while public education and registration was going on, saying each client would pay a premium of 50,000 cedis per annum. 19 Dec. 03