Bongo (U/E), Aug. 4, GNA - Vice-President Professor John Evans Atta Mills on Thursday commissioned a 196 million-cedi water supply system for the people of Bongo and its environs.

The completion of the project, which began in 1996, comes as a relief to the people of the area, who depended on well water that has unacceptably high levels of fluoride, which causes the browning of the teeth.

The project involved the laying of pipelines for a distance of 11,500 metres from the Vea Water Works, near Bolgatanga, to Bongo, the district capital and was funded by the government under the Public Investment Project (PIP) and Bongo District Assembly.

Professor Mills, who was rounding off a four-day tour of the Upper East region, observed that the provision of potable water and electricity for the people should serve as a foundation for the rapid socio-economic development of the area.

He said it is the desire of the government to provide these basic necessities that enhance the living standards of rural people and thereby their ability to contribute meaningfully to decision-making.

Professor Mills addressed separate durbars of the chiefs and people of Bongo and Beo, during which he explained the reasons for the current economic crisis.

The Vice-President said the country has lost about 300 million dollars this year because of the continuous decline in the prices of cocoa and gold.

He, therefore, told the people to question claims by the opposition parties that they have ready-made answers to the country's problems when they come into power, saying, "ask them how they are going to find the money to do that."

Professor Mills urged the people to vote massively for the NDC, which has a track record of addressing the needs of the people.

The chiefs of the area expressed their appreciation to the government for the many development programmes and appealed for the tarring of the Bolgatanga-Bongo trunk road.

Professor Mills inspected a rural electrification project at Tongo, health centre at Nangodi and commissioned a mechanised water system at Zuarungu, all in the Bolgatanga district.

The Vice-President interacted with the chiefs and people of Tongo and Nangodi at separate durbars on the last day of his tour.