Ajumako Onwane (C/R), May 31, GNA-An oil palm processing factory built with financial assistance from some non-governmental Organizations and the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam (AEE) district Assembly for members of the Onwane Palm Oil Processing Group was inaugurated on Tuesday. The project costing over 100 million cedis was financed by the International Labour Organisation/Ghana Decent Work Country Programme, Centre for Rural Enterprise Development (CREED) and Support for Production Enterprise Empowerment and Development (SPEED).

Mr. Kenneth Obempong, District Chief Executive for AEE, who inaugurated the factory, said it would enable the women to produce more quality oil to earn enough money to improve their financial positions. He said the construction of the factory was part of the government poverty reduction programme and urged the people to patronize it, adding that it was also aimed at stimulating enterprise development and employment creation in the district.

Mr. Henk Van Oosterhaut, Co-ordinator for SPEED, said his outfit offers business development service, support financial institutions and also gives credit to small scale industries.

He advised the women to use the facility properly to enable them to contribute meaningfully towards the development of the community and called for cooperation among the members.

Mr. Amoasie Andor, ILO/Decent Work Programme director Ghana, urged the women to ensure proper management of the project and also ensure regular maintenance to prolong its life span. He urged them to produce high quality product to attract foreign market and appealed to non-members to join the group to enable them to benefit from the facility.

The chief of Onwane, Nana Obimpong Kwamena Andor III, in his address thanked the government and the NGOs for the construction of the project and urged them to help other women groups in the town. 31 May 07