The government has proposed the institution of a comprehensive import substitution industrialization programme aimed at reducing the importation of non-petroleum products by 70% in a bid to rejuvenate the economy.

The policy follows government's realization that most of the non-petroleum products imported into the country can be best and cost-effectively substituted with locally produced ones.

Mr. Lawrence Prempeh, Special Assistant to the Minister of Trade, Industry and Presidential Special Initiatives, disclosed this at a day's forum on Rural Enterprise Development organized by the Upper Denkyira District Assembly (UDDA) at Dunkwa/ Offin in the Central Region last Friday.

Held under the theme: "Towards Sustainable Rural Enterprise Development in Upper Denkyira district within the context of the Ghana Poverty reduction strategy," the forum aimed at identifying and promoting key economic projects as a means of accelerating economic development in the rural communities in the district.

The success of the policy, according Prempeh, will not only reduce government expenditure on imports but will also provide the avenue for job creation since the policy will focus on the development of an export-oriented industrialization drive mainly through agro-processing.

"In line with the policy, the government has come out with the Rural Enterprises Development Programme (REDP) under which all the 110 District Assemblies have been asked to identify three economically viable areas in their localities with comparative advantage where mass production and business generation can occur," Prempeh explained.

He gave the assurance that the government will complement the efforts of District Assemblies through the provision of technical and financial support when they (Assemblies) demonstrate commitment to the programme.

Prempeh commended the UDDA for being the first Assembly to demonstrate its commitment to the policy in the organization of the forum and assured them of his ministry's support.

In a keynote address, Dr. Owusu Bi of the Bureau of Integrated Rural Development (BIRD), of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), noted that efforts being made by the government under the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) might face difficulties if greater attention is not given to the agricultural sector.

In view of this contention Dr. Bi has urged chiefs and traditional authorities as custodians of lands to readily release lands to interested people, particularly the youth, who cannot afford the cost of acquiring land to go into crop production.

Bi also advised that a strategy be drawn to ensure a free flow of information to farmers through extension services to enable them (farmers) to adopt appropriate cultural practices in the farming activities and to be acquainted with " modern resource allocation decision making."

He saw the policy by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to provide storage facilities for food crops in order to reduce post-harvest losses as appropriate since post-harvest losses have been the bane of the agricultural sector for a long time.

Welcoming participants to the forum, the district chief executive, Mr. Richard Anane Adabo, said the district is currently looking at other productive economic ventures that will replace the employment opportunities that the mining sector used to provide for the people in he area.

He expressed his delight that UDDA, which houses the headquarters of the West/South region of the Ghana Cocoa Board at Dunkwa, the district capital, is emerging as the cocoa district in the country and assured that efforts would be made to sustain this position.