Walewale (NR), Nov. 28, GNA - The Japanese Government has expressed its determination to support the improvement of the economic situation of farmers and other small business operators in areas affected by flood in the three northern regions. Mr. Yutaka Nakamura, Deputy Head of Mission in the Japan Embassy in Ghana, gave the assurance at the launch of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) to support the Victims of the flood, on Thursday at Walewale in the West Mamprusi District. He said "It has been our desire to see the people of the three northern regions of Ghana stand on their feet to combat the destruction and waste caused by the floods."

Mr. Nakamura said last year, the government of Japan kept up with her commitment by rapidly providing emergency relief items to meet short-term needs of victims of the flood in the area. He said the Japanese government shipped rice and handed it over to the Ghana government last month, under the Food Aid Programme for the victims and called for fair disbursement of the credit. Mr. Lawrence Prempeh, Chief Executive officer (CEOO) of MASLOC, who launched the programme, said a total of 157 groups representing 2,280 affected persons across the northern region were to receive loans amounting to GH¢343,205 for their micro-economic activities. He said the MASLOC scheme had so far disbursed over GH¢33 million in small loans and micro credit to over 177,000 beneficiaries across the country while a total of about GH¢8.5 million had also been disbursed to support some 45,000 beneficiaries through pro-poor schemes of sixteen ministries, departments and agencies. Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, Northern Regional Minister, said the gesture was a determination of the NPP government to mitigate the plight of the people.

He said experience the world over indicated that micro-finance scheme was the most viable mechanism, which could be used to reduce poverty and that the NPP government would do all that it could to address problems facing the poor. The programme dubbed, "The northern flood victims micro credit support programme" is geared towards disbursing the two million Ghana cedi grant that the Japanese government had given to Ghana to support the 2007 flood and disaster victims.