Kyaang (U/W), May 26, GNA - The European Union (EU) has earmarked about two million Euros for Micro-credits to support rural women to undertake income-generating ventures.

Dr Kwaku Osafo, National Programme Manager of the sixth EU Micro-Projects, which begins in July this year said the amount represented 10 per cent of the 25 million Euros grant to Ghana for the programme over the next five years after deducting administrative and other incidental expenses.

He made this known at the inauguration of a teacher's quarters at Kyaang in the Nadowli District on Wednesday, to signify the completion of projects under the third phase of the fifth Micro-projects programme in the District.

Five projects were executed in the District at a total of cost of 893 million cedis with District Assembly and the beneficiary communities picking 25 per cent of the amount.

Dr Osafo said the EU had spent 22 billion cedis on 313 projects in the Upper West and East Regions since the programme started in 1990. The Upper West benefited from 148 projects while the Upper East had 165 projects with 29 in the Nadowli District.

The Programme Manager stated that by bringing in income-generating ventures into the next project, rural women would generate funds to support the education of their children.

The Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Ambrose Dery urged the beneficiary communities to put the facilities provided with a lot of funds to good use and to maintain them frequently. He said their contribution to the execution of the projects was aimed at inculcating in them a spirit of ownership so that they could take good care of them.

Mr Dery announced that work on the Kaleo, Nadowli and Deffiama small town pipe water projects would begin soon because the District Assembly had picked up the counterpart funds the beneficiaries had to pay. "This would have been impossible without taxes on petrol and other indirect taxes, so what is the justification for those crying "Wahala" all over the place over petroleum taxes", he said.

Mr Erik Kristensen, Programme Officer of the Rural Development Section of the EU delegation in Ghana, said through the programme, 1,950 projects had been executed through out the country.

He said that was a testimony of the co-operation that existed between the EU and Ghana.