Koforidua, Aug. 8, GNA - A lasting solution to Koforidua's perennial water shortage problem begins on Wednesday when the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman will cut the sod for commencement of work on a 35.5 million euro project at the Volta Lakeside at Oterkpolu in the Manya Krobo District.

The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Yaw Barimah who announced this at a "Regional Meet the Press" at Koforidua on Tuesday, said the 35,522,555-million-euro project being funded by the Belgian government, consisted of 38 per cent grant and 52 per cent loan to be implemented on a turnkey basis by Messrs DENYS N.V. of Belgium.

He said the scope of the project included construction, supply and installation of electro-mechanic equipment, raw water intake and treatment plants near the Lake Volta, laying transmission and distribution pipelines as well as the provision of boosters, reservoirs and stand pipes.

Mr Barimah said when completed, the project would improve the reliability of water supply to Koforidua and a number of communities along the supply route, saying the perennial water shortage during the dry season would be a thing of the past.

He announced that feasibility studies were currently going on for a comprehensive rehabilitation and expansion of the Kwahu Water Supply project, while the contract had been awarded to MAXY Investment Limited for renewal of the pumps to enable operations to begin in the interim.

On the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), the Regional Minister said the Afram Plains, Kwahu South, Fanteakwa, Yilo and Manya districts were among the 23 beneficiaries where farmers were to be supported to ensure all-year-round production through irrigation.

He said over 6,000 farmers had been selected to cultivate about 3,000 hectares of crops including maize, yams, cassava, vegetables, groundnuts, pineapples, mangoes and banana, adding that the road networks in the Afram Plains were to be opened to connect farming communities with Konongo and Agogo areas in the Ashanti Region. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, who chaired the function, in an answer to a question said loans to the selected MCA farmers would be channelled through the Rural Banks, which were expected to be repaid into a revolving fund for the benefit of other farmers.

On the issue of when cassava starch processing plants would be established in other parts of the country including the Eastern Region, he said the Ayensu Starch Factory at Bawjiase in the Central Region was in urgent need for more cassava supply to meet its maximum requirement, adding that the emphasis now was to encourage the private sector to go into the venture.

According to him, four of such plants were being established in the Brong Ahafo Region, while one had already been set up in the Volta Region.

On the impact of the proposed new lottery law on the private lotto operators, Mr Bartels said the new law sought to ensure that all lottery operators paid taxes to government hence they would be brought under the Department of National Lotteries (DNL) without loss of jobs but rather increase them. 8 Aug. 06