Regional News of Wednesday, 20 August 2003

Source: GNA

Districts urged to buck up on micro-projects

Tamale, Aug. 20, GNA- About 42 billion cedis is expected to be expended on 600 projects under the third Phase of the Ghana Government/European Union Micro-projects Programme due to commence throughout the country between October and November, this year. The projects include the construction of schools, teachers' quarters, clinics, butchers' shops and culverts, the programme manager, Dr Kwaku Osafo, said at a workshop on the project for the Northern Region in Tamale on Tuesday.

He said under the first phase, 55 billion cedis was spent on 620 projects while 52 billion cedis went into the execution of 605 projects nation-wide.

District Chief Executives, Assembly members, District Planning Officers and District Financial Officers attended the workshop. Dr Osafo complained about the non-performance of projects by some of the 13 districts in the region. He said most of the projects in the 13 districts have not been roofed even though the second phase of the programme was expected to have ended in July, this year.

He commended the Savelugu/Nanton, East Gonja, Bole, East Mamprusi and West Mamprusi Districts for working hard to meet the project specifications.

The Programme Manager urged the non-performing districts to rectify the situation, warning that areas that do not show progress would be suspended from the programme.