Atimpoku, July 9, GNA - Asuogyaman District in the Eastern Region has become the 13th beneficiary of the Rural Enterprises Project (REP), an integrated rural development package aimed at helping to alleviate poverty and promote entrepreneurial culture in Ghana.

The project, which began four years ago with financial assistance from the African Development Bank, focuses on promoting a competitive rural and micro enterprise sector in the 13 participating districts. It provides credit and other expert advice to women and vulnerable groups on innovative ways they could use to reduce poverty and generate income at the grassroots.

Launching the programme at Atimpoku at the weekend, the Eastern and Volta Region Zonal Co-ordinator of the REP Mr Kwesi Attah-Antwi, appealed to residents of the beneficiary districts to make genuine efforts to alleviate poverty in their areas.

He said although one of the cardinal considerations for enrolling districts on the project was the level of rural poverty, "the mere presence of the REP will not achieve much unless the people cease the opportunity offered to start businesses".

"Unless these same poor people see the opportunities offered and make an effort to learn a skill, stretch and expand their businesses for increased incomes, the mere presence of REP in the district will not achieve much", he said.

Mr Attah-Antwi appealed for a consistent demonstration of commitment from the district assemblies and the other stakeholders for a smooth implementation of the project for the required impact to be made. "Therefore how much project resources finally get to the Asuogyaman District would depend on the efforts of the Assembly and all the other stakeholders", he added.

The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Yaw Barimah, in a speech read on his behalf, described the REP as "very close to the heart of government" for which reason it was not going to "sit down and watch the project to be like other ill-fated ones".

Mr Barimah stressed the need for effective co-operation to see through the implementation of the project. Miss Rebecca Koduah, Eastern Regional Manager of the National Board for Small Scale industries (NBSSI) said her outfit was working to bring about successful growth of enterprises at the grassroots. 09 July 07