Mpreaso (E/R), Dec 17 , GNA - The Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama has said the government would remain focussed with its policies of macro economic stability and would not make political decisions that would erode the gains made so far.

He noted that some previous governments responded to the demands of certain communities only to win their votes but the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government would not follow that negative trend. Alhaji Mahama was addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of Mpreaso in the Kwahu South District on Tuesday.

Alhaji Mahama gave the assurance that investments would consistently be made in education, health, sanitation, infrastructure and other areas to improve the standards of living of the people. The Vice President was on a three-day working visit to the Eastern Region to explain government's policies and programmes to the people and to elicit feed back for improvement.

He said the benefits from the HIPC initiative had now vindicated government's decision to make Ghana part of the programme .

Alhaji Mahama hinted that from June this year, 1.1 trillion cedis had been saved from the HIPC initiative, which has been used to finance many projects towards poverty alleviation.

He said: "When we decided to join the HIPC we received a lot of criticisms that we had made a bad judgement but when the benefits started coming the same critics are asking for their share ".

Alhaji Aliu gave the assurance that the government would not discriminate against any group of persons in the disbursement of the proceeds from HIPC but the authorities would ensure that every community received its fair share of the money.

The Vice President stressed that the government was committed to participatory democracy, good governance and freedom of speech to ensure a progressive and free society.

Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama expressed concern about the peddling of lies and deliberate misinformation in the name of freedom of speech by some people.

He said the government would correct people who would tread the wrong path and that the country would be no return to "the dark ages" were people were afraid to express their opinion. Alhaji Mahama said allegations made against government officials would be investigated in line with the government's principle of zero tolerance for corruption but added that those accused would not be prosecuted until they have been found guilty by the investigative agencies.

Mr Kwadwo Adjei Darko, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development advised people to who might set bushfires to prevent environmental degradation.

Dr Kwaku Afriyie, Minister for Health, explained the national health insurance scheme to the people and encouraged them to adopt policies that would make health care free for children as being implemented by the people of Ejusu Juaben in their pilot health scheme .. Alhaji Morktar Bamba, deputy Minister at the office of the President, government's commitment to good governance and good leadership was aimed towards sustaining peace and stability being enjoyed in the country.

He cautioned the people against HIV /AIDS saying the best preventive measures were abstinence from sex by unmarried people and faithfulness on the part of married couples.

The Vice president later addressed similar durbars at Ekya-Amanfrom Maame Krobno and Teisa in the Afram plains district

The Vice President Aliu Mahama inspected the progress of work on the Nkawkaw lorry park , kwahu Tafoo -Adawso and the Nkawkaw -Atibie roads in the kwahu south district.

He and urged the contractors on the project to ensure good quality work and to complete it on schedule.

Alhaji Mahama also commissioned a block of classrooms for the people of Etie Amanfrom and a 700-million cedi market for the people of Maame krobo in the Afram plains district .

Briefing the Vice President on projects being implemented in the area, Mr. Raymond Osafo Djan, District Chief Executive of the kwahu South District, said 6 billion cedis has so far been spent on a 16 thousand square kilometre park being executed under the urban 5 project .. Mr Djan said the facility that would accommodate 100 vehicles and would it be extended under the second phase, which would soon begin to make room for 60 articulator trucks.

He said the second phase would include stores, toilets, sheds and drainage adding that if completed, the park would help to ease the problem of congestion there.

At Tafo the Vice President expressed satisfaction that work was steadily progressing on the 33-kilometre Tafo Adawso road, which was being reconstructed and tarred at a cost of 42 billion cedis. Three contractors were working on the different portions of the road and the entire project was expected to be completed by the middle of 2005 to facilitate the transportation of foodstuff from the Afram plains to the market centres.

Alhaji Maha interacted with the anti-armed robbery squad operating in the area and encouraged them to continue working assiduously to prevent armed robbers from attacking traders who ply the route . At Nkawkaw he inspected the Atibie project involving the building of embankments to prevent landslides of that portion of the Kwahu mountains .

He commended the Constructing Pioneers working on the project for good work so far done and urged them to complete the work ahead of scheduled .

The 5.5 billion project would also involve building structures to protect the edges of the roads and construction of a drainage system to prevent erosion.

In 2001 a massive landslide occurred at that portion of the mountain resulting in the blockage of the major road linking the kwahu communities .