Tepa (Ash), Oct. 4, GNA - The Ahafo-Ano North District Assembly has held a public hearing on the District's Medium-Term Development Plan at Tepa.

Personnel from the district education, health and agriculture directorates as well as the assembly presented plans to reduce poverty and raise the living standards of the people for the next three years. Some of the major concerns put forward by the public for consideration include the falling standard of education, the rate at which the youth are becoming addicted to drugs, especially wee-smokers, deplorable road networks, lack of liquid and solid waste disposal sites and youth unemployment.

Others were inadequate health personnel, absence of a police barracks, an afforestation exercise, credit facilities for farmers and traders and the programme for proper planning in the big towns in the area.

Nana Eric Agyemang Prempeh, the District Chief Executive, said the government had given approval for the recruitment and training of a number of youth in various skills under the Youth Employment Programme. He said 21 retired teachers had been recruited and posted to schools in the district to beef up the teaching staff as the result of the increase in enrolment in schools due to the capitation grant. Mr Ted Oppong, the District Planning Officer and Co-ordinator of the Development Plan, gave the assurance that the suggestions made at the forum would be carefully studied by the committee working on the plan.