Begoro (E/R), March 1, GNA - The Fanteakwa District Assembly realised more than 661 million cedis from local sources last year representing 83 percent of the estimated target of over 796 million cedis.

The Fanteakwa District Chief Executive, Mr Ebenezer Ofoe Caesar announced this at the first ordinary meeting of the Assembly at Begoro on Wednesday.

He said the major source of revenue came from fees and fines and urged assembly members to assist revenue collectors to improve the local revenue base in the District.

Mr Caesar said the Assembly had approved a number of projects to be undertaken under the Government of Ghana and European Union Micro Grant Project, but that the shortage of cement due to its high cost had delayed the taking off of these projects.

He said the projects included the construction of District Assembly Warehouse, at Begoro, teachers quarters at Adjeikrom and Feyiase, nurses quarters at Begoro, a classroom block at Dome and a culvert at Dansor. On education, the DCE said a Capitation Grant of 269.7 million cedis was allocated to the District Directorate of Education last year and was disbursed to schools.

Mr Caesar lamented that over 51 percent of students in the District failed at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) last year out of which two schools, the Addokrom D/A Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Heman D/A JSS obtained zero percent.

He said 170 pupil teachers have registered and were participating in the distance learning education programme under the Untrained Teachers in Diploma in Basic Education Programme (UTTDBE).

Mr Caesar commended the immediate past Eastern Regional Director of Education, Mrs Ewurabena Ahwoi for donating 45 bicycles to girls who commute between five to eight kilometres to school daily as her contribution to promote girl child education in the District. Mr Caesar expressed his worry about the fact that the District was in the danger zone of the HIV/AIDS pandemic even though the prevalence rate of 6.8 per cent in 2004 had reduced to 4.1 per cent last year. He appealed to the assembly members to assist to curb the increasing rate of teenage pregnancy in the District.