Sekondi, Dec 23, GNA - Mr. Anthony Evans Amoah, the Western Regional Minister, on Saturday called on the people to embrace the self-employment policy of the government to improve the unemployment situation in the country.

Making the call at an end-of-year meeting with the press in the region at the residence at Sekondi, he also called on the people to create a good environment for businesses to expand.

Mr. Amoah said those who opted for self-employment would be able to assess loans ranging from one million cedis to 250 million cedis under the Micro and Small Credit Finance Scheme (MASLOC) to support their businesses.

He urged the youth in particular to take up the government's offer and take advantage of the Inland Rice Development Project and other employment generating programmes. Mr. Amoah said the government has also set aside funds to support those who want to go into the cultivation of jetropha in the region for the bio-diesel project.

Mr. Amoah said about 4,200 illegal small-scale gold miners have been ejected from concessions of mining companies in the region. He said the illegal miners were not operating according to laid down rules and their use of explosives was a matter of great concern. He said some of the ejected miners have regularised their activities. Mr. Amoah said chieftaincy and land disputes in the region reduced this year due to the policy of his administration to distance itself from and discourage such litigations.

He said chiefs and people in the region have come to realise that chieftaincy and land litigations are retarding development.

Mr. Amoah said serious consideration has been given to the re-activation of the Bonsa Tyre Company and the Aboso Glass Factory. He said some of the machines of the Bonsa Tyre Company, which is on divestiture, are in good condition and could be used.

Mr. Amoah said the investor that acquired the Aboso Glass Factory abandoned it because he could not pay a huge electricity bill. He said the Wassa West District Assembly is being encouraged to take over both companies and the assembly would soon deliberate on the matter.

Mr. Amoah said the regional theatre would be completed for the country's Golden Jubilee celebration and the regional durbar ground, which is being built to commemorate the anniversary, would soon be completed.

He said each of the 13 district assemblies in the region would put up jubilee schools while a jubilee technical school would be constructed at Sekondi.

Mr. George A. Naykene, Western Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association, reminded journalists in the region that Ghanaians expected the media to expose corruption, denounce abuses and misuse of power.

He urged them to articulate public opinion and assist them to enjoy their rights and liberties.

Mr. Naykene said the lack of transport and other logistics makes the movement of the media difficult.

He reminded journalists to abide by the ethics of the profession and work hard to promote the social, economic and political development of the region.