Wiamoase (Ash), Aug. 16, GNA- Government is determined to pay 70 percent of the producer price of cocoa to farmers, President John Agyekun Kufuor said at Wiamoase-Ashanti on Friday.

He said payment of bonus to the farmers will continue as well as the mass cocoa spraying exercise that has led to increase in cocoa production and more revenue to the farmers.

President Kufuor was addressing the chiefs and people of Woamoase-Ashanti as part of his official tour of the Ashanti Region. He addressed similar durbars at Kyekyewere-Afigya, Tetrem, Bepoase, Boanim, Amenase, Jamasi and Agona all in the Afigya Sekyere District.

President Kufuor assured the people that the period when officials of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) cheated farmers and benefited from the proceeds of cocoa sale was over and that this time round farmers would rather benefit from their toil.

He said government would lay the foundation for the country's economic growth and not to disappoint the people and urged them to continue to pray for the government and support its policies and programmes geared towards improvement in the living standards of the people.

Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister said the road network in the district would be rehabilitated, while work on some of them would be awarded on contract before the end of the year. He explained that this would ensure that the area being a food producing area, farm produce get to the urban and market centres. Mr Boafo said 20 million cedis from the Common Fund has been allocated for work on a vocational centre at Amenase.

Nana Okuru Karikari Bediako Poku 11, Chief of Amenase, commended President Kufuor for his honesty, humility and vision for the country. He commended government for rehabilitating roads in the area and pledged the unflinching support of the chiefs and people for the government.