Cape Coast, Sept. 22, GNA- The Central Region has persistently failed to access the Forest Plantation Development Fund to aid the establishment of public and individual Forest plantations, Oseadeyo Agyeman Badu II, Chairman, Forest Plantation Development Fund Management Board, disclosed on Wednesday.

He said the fund has more than a billion cedis available to be given out as loans and grants to people who were interested in large scale tree planting but that the Region in the past two and half years of the existence of the fund have only been able to access about GHc5,000 cedis.

Oseadeyo Agyeman Badu, who is also the Paramount chief of Dorman, had paid courtesy calls on the Omanhen of Oguaa, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II and the President of the Central Regional House of Chiefs , Dasebre kwebu Ewusie VII, in Cape Coast as part of his four- day inspection of Private and individual Forest Plantations in the Central Region.

He said the criteria for accessing the loan or grant for the project was for individuals and organizations to have at least five hectares of registered land and a side plan covering the land but explained that in the case of the Central Region the number of hectares were reduced to just two but only one person managed to access the loan this year.

He underscored the important role the forest plays in the development of the individual and the nation as a whole stressing that forest plantation projects apart from creating jobs was also an avenue for people to enhance their living conditions as well as protecting the nation’s vegetation cover.

He called on the chiefs in the Central region to take advantage of the fund to embark on forest plantation to improve upon their lot.

He urged them to help educate the public on the fund and the need to protect the forest from further depletion.

Dasebre Ewusie VII, who is also a Council of State member, thanked Oseadeyo Badu ,for educating them on the fund and assured him that chiefs in the region would soon start a plantation adding, they have more that 38 hectares of land to spare.

He however expressed concern about the low publicity on the fund and asked that the board members intensify public education on the fund and urged the Forestry Commission to provide seedlings for people who were interest in the project.

The Board Chairman who was accompanied by three board members would inspect plantations in the Cape Coast , Abura Asebu-Kwamankese and Mfantsiman districts.