The Embassy of Switzerland and the Ghana Education Service (GES) have signed a collaborative agreement for a one-year pilot tree planting (PPTP) exercise across the country.

The planting exercise, which will start this month, is billed to end next year in November, for review and assessment.

The Swiss Ambassador, Dr. Peter A. Schweizer, on Wednesday presented a cheque of 54 million cedis to the GES, as part payment of the embassy's input of 120 million cedis, earmarked for the pilot project, at a ceremony in Accra. The Minister of Education, Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, received the cheque on behalf of the GES.

In all, 20 schools have been selected from all ten regions, for the first phase, with each pupil planting at least 50 trees.The exercise, after thorough evaluation, would be extended to other schools.

The exercise would subsequently be integrated into the school curriculum, depending on the success of the pilot programme.

The project is planned to 're-green' Ghana and combat desertification in the savanna belt of northern Ghana.

Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi expressed his appreciation to the ambassador for the bold initiative and kind effort of the embassy in financing the programme.

He said, the GES would play it part to ensure that, children are educated on the fundamentals of tree cultivation and its essence to the nation.

The Minister was of the view that the programme would go a long way to help the country overcome the alarming spread of desert.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku West, Mr. Cletus Avoka promised that MPs would not shirk their responsibility but would rather help to make the project a success. He said the policy that portrays the planter as the sole beneficiary of the product should be discouraged. Instead, the school should be accorded priority.

Mr. Alex Tetteh-Enyo, Acting Director_General of Ghana Education Service, said the action plan of the project would be circulated to all MPs and district assemblies.