WA, July 15, GNA - The Government has absorbed ten per cent of the counterpart contributions which Busa and Charia communities in the Wa Municipality were expected to meet before the commencement of their Small Town Pipe Water System projects.

As a result, the two projects have been awarded on contract at a total cost of 1,124,753.57 Ghana Cedis, following the approval and subsequent release of funds by the World Bank.

Mr. Duogu Yakubu, Wa Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), announced this at an ordinary meeting of the Assembly at Wa. He said since 2005 when the two communities were taken on board the project, none of them had been able to meet even one-fifth of their ten per cent contribution of the cost of the projects due to chronic poverty.

Describing the Government's action as a good omen, the MCE said the gesture had rekindled the hopes and aspirations of not only the people of the two communities but also other communities which were preparing to join the small town water scheme later. On the Assembly's business ventures, he said the Fruit Juice Factory located at Wa that was commissioned in March 2008, had not yet gone into production as a result of a combination of factors including the absence of a business plan and some administrative hurdles that needed to be cleared.

Mr. Yakubu said the Assembly had engaged Latuo and Associates, a Private Accounting and Audit Firm to complete the processes of registration while a nine-member Board of Directors of the factory had been appointed for the approval of the Assembly.

Work on the electricity sub-station from where power would be connected to the factory has also been completed and power had been restored for production to start after approval and certification by the relevant State Agencies.