Kyebi(ER), July 29, GNA - The East Akyem District Assembly in the Eastern Region has decided to disburse its micro credit scheme under the Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF) to groups instead of individuals. Mr S.A. Asante, Presiding Member of the assembly who announced this at a general meeting of the assembly at Kyebi said the decision, was part of efforts to ensure sustenance of the programme due to the high default rate of beneficiaries to repay their loans. He said the assembly had repackaged the scheme to ensure that only viable operating groups benefited from the facility designed to generate income for beneficiary groups and create jobs for the unemployed youth within the district.

Mr Asante said a scout team of the assembly had already identified some thriving co-operative institutions such as bakery, tailoring and the physically disabled groups at Kyebi, New Tafo and Kukurantumi. He therefore, appealed to assembly members to support the project to reduce poverty and unemployment among the people. Mr Emmanuel Victor Asihene, East Akyem District Chief Executive, called for total commitment from members towards the implementation of the Youth Employment Programme.

He said the assembly had targeted such areas, as agric-business, trade and vocation, community protection system, health care assistants and information, communication and technology. Mr Asihene appealed to the assembly members to collaborate with the various town and area councils to ensure that laid down procedures and regulations were strictly complied with regard to the implementation of European Union funded projects.

This, he said, was to ensure that the donors would continue to have confidence in the assembly and sustain the projects for the benefit of the people.

Some development projects being undertaken by the assembly are the construction of an office block for the District Health Insurance Scheme, a district library, a court building, an office annex and classroom blocks at Bomponso and Obodanase.