Ho, March 13, GNA - The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and the Department For International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom, on Tuesday presented vehicles and equipment worth 2.6 billion cedis towards efficient delivery of Rural Water and Sanitation services in the Volta Region.

The items included five new vehicles, 62 motorbikes, 17 computers, 15 printers and 17 universal power systems for distribution among the 15 municipal and district assemblies in the Region. The Regional Co-ordinating Council received the items on behalf of the assemblies.

Mr Emmanuel Boateng, Volta Regional Director of Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), described the gesture as "another manifestation of development partners' commitment to the welfare of the rural people".

He observed that DANIDA and the DFID had earlier provided 4.3 billion cedis to support the District Based Water and Sanitation Programme to provide water to 26,000 people in 29 communities in the North Tongu District.

Mr Boateng said the Volta Region had for the past twelve years been benefiting from DANIDA support towards rural water supply and sanitation improvement, which assistance would continue until the end of 2008 under the phase II of the District Water and Sanitation Component. He, however, expressed displeasure at the tendency of some "high government officials to abuse and monopolize vehicles" to the detriment of the official assignments for which such vehicles were provided. Mr Boateng reminded the assemblies of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under the DWSC for the operation and maintenance of vehicles and running of water and sanitation team offices under them. Mr Larsen Moller Larsen, Water Sector Coordinator at the Royal Danish Embassy emphasized that safe water and the promotion of positive hygienic behaviour lead to better health, higher productivity and improved incomes.

Mr Steve Selormey, Volta Regional Coordinating Director, who received the items on behalf of the assemblies, promised that they would be put to good use.