Accra, Feb. 15, Professor George Gyan-Baffuor, a Deputy Finance and Economic Planning Minister, on Thursday said government had voted five billion cedis as seed money to fund a housing scheme for cocoa farmers. He said one billion cedis have been released out of the fund for the commencement of the pilot phase in the Western Region. The Deputy Minister was responding to a question in Parliament on the state of the housing scheme for the cocoa farmers proposed in the 2005 budget statement and economic policy of the government. Prof Gyan-Baffuor said the Department of Rural Housing has started the construction of ten houses

"The house type is a three bedroom unit with the necessary amenities and rain water harvesting system. The ten houses are being built in three townships in three districts of the Western Region namely: Aowin-Suaman district, Afranse in the Wassa Akropong district and Yawmatwa in the Bia district," he said.

"Mr Speaker, an additional ten billion cedis has been set aside from the Cocoa Export Duty for this programme," Prof. Gyan-Baffuor added.

In response to another question on when the Produce Buying Company would embark on a massive rehabilitation of its properties scattered across the country, the Minister said: "The Company has earmarked to rehabilitate 50 of its shed across the country." "It may also be noted that some sheds have been ceded out to the communities for various services including schooling, community clinics and church services."

He said the COCOBOD has also rented a good number of sheds to other licensed buying companies.