Accra, Jan. 29, GNA- The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in collaboration with the Ghana Cocoa Board on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with 31 contractors for the take off of the first phase of the Cocoa Roads Implementation Project (CRIP). The first phase of the project, which will be implemented in the six cocoa growing regions will cover a total of 205 kilometres of roads at a cost 25.2 million Ghana Cedis. The project, the first to be implemented in Ghana will have the Department of Feeder Roads as the implementing agency.

Mr Kwadwo Baa-Wiredu, the sector Minister, signing on behalf of government said the exercise followed an announcement President John Agyekum Kufuor made recently at the People's Assembly held in Sekondi in connection with the project. He said the Project when completed would facilitate cocoa evacuation in the cocoa producing areas as well as the movement of people and food crops.

Mr Baah-Wiredu said government would put in place policies and measures that will enrich the lives of the farmer. He outlined the achievements of the government in the cocoa industry and said government had ensued remunerative producer prices and payment of bonuses, which had risen six times since 2001, and had engaged in effective disease and pest control exercises which had improved the agronomic practices on cocoa farms.

Mr Baah-Wiredu announced the decision taken by COCOBOD to "increase the bad road factor from 20 per cent to 30 per cent and the return factor from 20 per cent to 25 per cent for haulers of cocoa with the aim of improving internal marketing of cocoa. He called on investors to explore the market potential of the beneficiary community in terms of the opening up of these communities to the marketing centers and the major cities of the country through the CRIP and other related projects. He urged contractors involved in the Project to deliver quality work and on time since the Ministry would be monitoring their work and poor out put would not be compromised.

Mr Issac Osei Chief Director of Ghana Cocoa Board, said the COCOBOD was the major employer in the six cocoa growing areas namely Western, Volta, Central, Eastern, Brong-Ahafo and Ashanti regions. He said it was the main pillar of the country's GDP and called on the contractors to fulfil their part of the contract by executing quality work. Mr Bayon Tango Minister of State at the Transportation Ministry, said the advertisement for phase two of the programme covering another 200km of roads was almost complete and would soon be published for bidders. He said funds for the project was secured and to avoid the delay in payment he urged contractors to execute their contract on time. Mr J. Twumasi-Mensah, president of Road Contractors, Ghana, on behalf of the group pledged to complete the contract on time.