Accra, Nov. 3, GNA - Ms Lidi Remmelzwaal, the Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana on Friday said her country would support Ghana to solve her environmental problem to ensure the livelihood of Ghanaians. She said initiatives like marine and coastal ecosystems needed to be improved to ensure sustainability and good health.

Ms Remmelzwaal was interacting with Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, when she called at his office to formerly introduce herself as the new Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana and to discuss ways to improve cooperation.

She said other initiatives her Government would undertake in Ghana include assistance to develop the private sector, as well as improve on education and enhance growth.

She said local governance through the decentralization process was important to enhancing Ghana's democracy and to enable the people at the grassroots to participate and manage resources at their disposal. Ms Remmelzwaal said she considered herself lucky to be posted to Ghana, which was doing considerably well in the Sub-region, and that she would build upon the work of her predecessor, who had since been posted to Abuja, Nigeria, to deepen cooperation.

Mr Asamoah Boateng said it had been his objective to ensure that the livelihood of the people were protected by ensuring that river bodies and the sea were not polluted through the deposit of toxic wastes.

He said the cardinal principle of the Ministry was to put the welfare of Ghanaians at the centre of service delivery, adding he was looking forward to giving a good performance account of his Ministry at the end of his tenure.

He said there was need for the people to handle local administration for their own benefit and also to indirectly participate in the decision making process.

Mr Asamoah Boateng expressed appreciation for the Netherlands assistance to Ghana's decentralization process and said the government would continue to learn from that country's developmental agenda. He also lauded the Netherlands for its contribution to the Ghana's school feeding programme, adding that some reviews had been done in the pilot stage and would be implemented on a larger scale to achieve the objectives of the programme. 03 Nov 06