Mpraeso-Kwahu, May 16, GNA - Government has allocated 5.4 billion cedis to Kwahu South District Assembly as its share of the Assemblies Common Fund for development projects this year.

The amount is for the development of about 723 towns and villages within the district.

Nana Kofi Onwona Asante, Kwahu South District Chief Executive announced this when the Executive Committee of Mpraesoman Kuo (Union of Mpraeso-Kwahu citizens resident in Accra and Tema) paid a courtesy call on him at Mpraeso-Kwahu at the weekend.

He said the three main sources of income for the assemblies to undertake development projects, were the Common Fund, Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Fund and Internally generated funds. Nana Asante noted that after sometime, funds from the Common Fund would be withdrawn and the onus would be on the assemblies to intensify their internally generated revenue for development. He said the assembly had therefore, instituted measures within its budget for this year to ensure property owners pay adequate property rates to boost revenue generation within the district. In addition, Nana Asante said the assembly had initiated training programmes for revenue collectors and the three area councils would supervise revenue collection and retain a percentage for development within their areas.

The District Chief Executive announced that the district had been selected with five others in Eastern Region for assistance from the German Government.

He said it was a new project under which the assemblies would be assisted to improve on their infrastructure such as roads and schools. Nana Asante said a major problem facing the assembly was the non-payment of loans granted to beneficiaries under the Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF).

He said beneficiaries owed about 1.3 billion cedis therefore, the assembly had decided to prosecute them and appealed to the loan defaulters to repay them for others to benefit to improve their standard of living.

Nana Asante said the assembly had negotiated with the management of the Metro Mass Transit Company for about six buses to operate within the district.

Mr S.K.O. Omari, Chairman of the Union, said it had initiated some development projects including the construction of a community centre at Mpraeso-Kwahu and appealed to the assembly for assistance. He called on the assembly to endeavour to improve on the deplorable roads within the district capital and negotiate with the management of the Metro Mass Transit Company to provide some of the buses to the district to ease the burden on transportation within the district.