Nkawie (Ash), Sept 9, GNA - Mr Thomas Ofori-Donkor, Atwima-Nwabiagya District chief Executive, has reiterated that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government believed in participatory democracy. He said incorporating views of the people in the formulation of policies was crucial to accelerate development at the local level. Mr Ofori-Donkor was speaking at the first public hearing of the district's medium term development plan at Nkawie on Friday. He said sidelining the people in the activities of the assemblies over the years had led to misplacement of priorities of the people's needs, hence the initiative.

Mr Ofori-Donkor appealed to traditional rulers and assembly members to be involved in the development agenda of the assembly. Mr Joseph Frimpong Naayo, the District Development Planning Officer, said 58 projects were earmarked between 2002 to 2005 in the first phase and 45 were executed under the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS).

He said as a result of the success chalked, the projects had been re-introduced this year under GPRS II for four years.