Accra, June 25, GNA- Mr. Peter Ala Adjetey, Speaker of Parliament on Friday asked the Committee on Trade, Industry and President's Special Initiatives (PSI) to consider the possibility of establishing a PSI on Mangoes in the northern regions to accelerate development in that area. The Speaker gave this directive after Members of Parliament had embraced the idea put forward by Mr. Edward Salia, NDC-Jirapa for the production of mangoes in the three northern regions.

Mr. Salia said a lot has been said and done elsewhere about PSI and "that now it is the most resourced and favoured programme of the NPP government." "So far, nothing significant has happened in the north about the PSI on cotton, groundnut, and sorghum almost four years since the programme was initiated. "

Mr. Salia said development in the north has been slow, adding, " The time has now come for government to focus its attention on economic trees to improve the economic fortunes of Northern Ghana." "In this respect, I humbly suggest that mango production programme should be launched as one of the PSI", he said. He said this would provide employment for many in the north and stem the tide of migration to the south. He said Mali and Burkina Faso were exporting mangoes and said an agro-based industry for processing mangoes into juices and other products could be integrated with the production of fresh mangoes.

Dr. Benjamin Kumbuor, NDC-Lawra Nandom, said the north had suffered a lot from poverty and it was time to address investment imbalances in the country. Mr. Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said every district had been tasked by the Trade Ministry to come up with a project proposal for investment. Alhaji Mustapha Idris, Minister of Works and Housing, said there was the need to set up a board to oversee the management and implementation of programmes on mangoes, cashew and shea butter in the north.