Benso (W/R), Dec 27, GNA - Management of Benso Oil Palm Plantations (BOPP) has instituted a scholarship scheme for the three communities in its area of operation in the Wassa Mphor District. The communities are Adum Banso, Benso and Dominase. Under the scheme the company, for a start, will offer six scholarships for brilliant but needy Senior Secondary/Technical students in the communities.

Mr Neneyo Mate-Korle, Managing Director of BOPP, said this at the annual workers' durbar and Awards Day held at Benso on Saturday. The package, he said, was BOPP's contribution to educating promising students.

In all 33 workers were honoured and they took home prizes that included television sets, bicycles, suitcases, radio cassettes recorders and soap.

Mr Mate-Korle said as part of the company's social responsibility it had since 2003 spent over 250 million on projects in the communities. These include donation of motorbikes and printing materials to the National Health Insurance Scheme directorate at Daboase, cement and stones to Adum Banso community and award of six scholarships to the communities.

Mr Samuel Kangah, General Secretary of General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), appealed to the Government to reduce the interest rate of loans for investors who wished to go into agriculture because the sector offered employment to 60 per cent of the population. Mr Kangah commended the management of BOPP for its transparency that had made it possible for the company to be listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange.

Mr Stephen Aryeepah, Chairman of the local union, said, "trade unionism now is not about confrontation but about dialogue". He said the union had tested the two methods and found that dialogue was a better option of seeking redress since militancy would render most of workers in the country jobless. 27 Dec 07