Chiraa (B/A) Jan. 20 GNA - The government has set up a committee to work on the creation of five new districts in the Northern region, Mr. Kwadwo Adjei-Darko Minister of Local Government and Rural Development announced at Chiraa in the Brong-Ahafo Region at the weekend. He explained at a people's assembly at Chiraa that the region was not included in the earlier creations because of the volatile situation in the Dagbon traditional area at the time.

Mr Adjei-Darko said the committee has already sat in Tamale and Minister expressed the hope that by the time he returned to Accra at the end of the eight-day period of the people's assemblies in Brong-Ahafo, the body's report would have been made ready. He said if the creation of the five new districts was approved, it would bring to 28 the total number of new districts created since the New Patriotic Party came to power. The Minister said as at the middle of last December, a total of 23 additional new districts had been created.

Mr Adjei-Darko, also MP for Sunyani West, said the government had realized the need to create additional districts for the smooth implementation of the decentralization policy. He recalled that out of the first 19 new districts created on November 14, last year, Brong-Ahafo had five, with another one created within Tano district with Duayaw Nkwanta as its administrative capital under Executive Instrument 16, of December 15.

Mr Adjei-Darko, announced that, the government had elevated Sunyani and Techiman districts to municipal status in December, last year. He said when the new authorities started operating, they would be entitled to 3.5 billion cedis of the Assemblies' Common Fund each, instead of the 1.5 billion cedis they were receiving when they were district assemblies.