Sekondi, Sept. 16,GNA-A World Bank sponsored Community based poverty reduction project will be pilot tested by four District Assemblies, Mrs Bridget Katsriku, a Director at the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare, said at Sekondi on Thursday.

They are the Tamale Municipal Assembly, Shama-Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly, Accra and Kumasi Metropolitan Assemblies. Mrs Katsriku was speaking at a seminar on the poverty reduction project. She said a Ghana Living Standard Survey has revealed that 31 per cent of the population are in poverty and seven per cent in abject poverty.

"The Government wants to reduce poverty and has made poverty reduction programme a top priority", in its Vision 2020 programme. Other programmes targeted at poverty reduction are food security and nutrition project, assistance to street children project and the social investment fund for deprived communities.

The African Development Fund, the United Nations Development Fund and the Government have together contributed 18.5 billion cedis towards the fund. Part of the fund will be set aside as loans to the poor, Mrs Katsriku said, adding that the street children phenomenon is closely related to poverty.

In an address read for Mrs Esther Lily Nkansah, Western Regional Minister, she said productive activity has increased as a result of economic liberalisation and investment drive. "If this situation continues,there would be improvement in the Country's job situation , reduction of unemployment, underdevelopment and general levels of poverty.

"Until such a time when we are able to achieve that level of general wellbeing, any assistance from any quarter that will help Government to tackle some of the social issues bedevilling the Ghanaian society will be most welcomed", she said.

Lt. Col. Kaku Korsah, Shama-Ahanta East Metropolitan Chief Executive, said studies conducted on street children in Sekondi-Takoradi in 1996 indicate that both boys and girls are liable to poverty. He said the studies stressed that the street children wished to go to school or learn a trade or profession but lacked resources, sponsorship or assistance.

The community poverty reduction project would complement other governmental interventions such as, the Village Infrastructure Project, Youth in Agriculture Project, income and employment generation and productivity enhancement programmes, all geared towards improving the living conditions of the Ghanaian youth.