Techiman (B/A), Nov. 21, GNA - The Government has released 3.92 billion cedis for the rehabilitation of the Tanoso Irrigation Dam to boost tomato and soybean production in the Techiman municipality. Mr. Prince Yaw Donyina, Municipal Chief Executive, said this when addressing the second ordinary meeting of the third assembly of the Municipal Assembly.

In attendance were heads of departments, boards and corporations, as well as decentralized departments.

The project is based on the establishment of a tomato processing centre and the need for a raw material base to encourage the youth to embrace and sustain the programme.

Mr. Donyina noted that Techiman and its surrounding communities lost a lot of farm produce during the glut season. He said the Assembly had realized the need to establish a small-scale tomato-processing factory by converting an old fertilizer depot to process tomato.

Mr. Donyina said the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, in collaboration with Forestry Services, was working with 10 communities to replant depleted forests along the Asubinma reserve. He said the Government had instituted a programme dubbed "Youth Mass Employment Programme" under the auspices of the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment.

He said there had been efforts to create jobs, including various employment packages such as skill training entrepreneurship project, President's Special Initiative, New Mining Concerns and other private sector initiatives.

The main objectives were to create opportunities for employment of the youth and also empower them to create jobs for the accelerated development of the nation and check rural urban drift which had been on the Increase among the youth.

Mr. Donyina decried the deterioration in the security situation in the municipality and called on all and sundry to be wary. The MCE commended the initiative of the traditional council to organise fund-raising activities towards the construction of a police barracks in Techiman.

He expressed regret about chieftaincy disputes at Offuman, Tanoso and Oforikrom and expressed gratitude to the Assembly Members for their non-partisan approach to issues and non-involvement in chieftaincy matters.