General News of Sunday, 24 July 2005

Source: GNA

Govt to ensure success of CBRDP

Apam, July 24, GNA - The government is determined to make the Community-based Rural Development Project (CBRDP) to succeed to promote the decentralisation programme in the country.

It is therefore making every effort to remove bottlenecks, which hindered the former project, Village Infrastructure Project (VIP) that the CBRDP replaced.

Mrs Emily Akotiah, Rural Enterprise Development Specialist in charge of the Central and Western Regions stated at a sensitisation meeting for some groups and individual entrepreneurs in Gomoa District at Apam.

CBRD, like the VIP is a poverty reduction initiative of the government in collaboration with donor partners to improve the living conditions of the people.

The International Development Association of the World Bank, and Agence Francaise Development are funding the project with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development as the implementing agency. She said many of the beneficiaries of the VIP flopped because they lacked skills to manage their businesses effectively.

She stated that the rural enterprise development and learning centres had been included in the project to enable beneficiaries to acquire skills to mange their ventures.

Mrs Akotia said the project had a grant, micro financing and a capacity building components.

Mr Francis Kofi Ayensu, Gomoa District Planning Officer, urged Ghanaians to have faith in the project to get out of poverty. He urged those to benefit to show commitment and advised them to cultivate the habit of savings.