Hohoe (V/R), March 27, GNA - Hohoe District in the Volta Region has been identified as a preferred choice for PLAN-GHANA, a non-governmental organization (NGO), to do business in the Volta Region. Mr Obed Nutsugah, Hohoe District Planning Officer, who on Monday made the identification, explained that Hohoe, the District capital was strategically located and served as the nerve centre of business in the Region,

He also said prospects of human and material resources coupled with the existence of a medium term strategic development plan for the 2006 to 2009 for the area made it suitable for any such transaction. The District Planning Officer was speaking at stakeholders' meeting with a four-member delegation from PLAN-GHANA at Hohoe. He said its mission statement was to improve the quality of life of the people and to reduce poverty through private sector led growth in agriculture, industry and tourism buoyed by a revamped social and educational infrastructure within equitable and sustained decentralisation.

Mr Nutsugah said it was projected that agriculture and industry would yield 20 per cent increase annually through training and improved access to credit and increased revenue accruing from tourism by 30 per cent through the development and marketing of its identified 12 tourists sites within the period.

Ms Juliet Dede Kumah, District Director of Education, said inadequate classrooms and seats as well as dilapidated and sub-standard school buildings were challenges the Sector faced. She said a good partnership with the private sector would complement the efforts of the Government in ensuring quality teaching and learning.

Mr Samuel Paulos, Country Director of PLAN-Ghana, said the NGO was established in 1992 to develop children principally in preventive health, education, income generation, water and sanitation. He said it collaborated with district assemblies, community-based organisations and other stakeholders through the creation of a strong productive base, private sector competitiveness, infrastructure development and economic revitalisation of rural areas. Mr Paulos said the choice was now between the Hohoe and Sogakofe Districts, which were short-listed out of Akatsi, Krachi West and Kadjebi Districts and Ho Municipality.

He said the choice would be based purely on policy guidelines, direction and fair assessment in addition to showing the ability to rally all forces towards the sustenance of the projects with or without resources.

Mr Prince Jacob Hayibor, Member of Parliament for Hohoe North, said poverty was endemic in the area and challenged the researchers to test their variables used in the survey again stressing that the situation on the ground was at variance with what was in the books adding that the stakeholders would support PLAN-Ghana.

Togbega Tsedze Atakora VII, Paramount Chief of Alavanyo, said all bottlenecks associated with land acquisition had been addressed to ensure the execution of development projects in the area to curb the rural-urban drift of the youth.

Mamaga Dewotornyo, Paramount Queen of Hohoe Traditional Area, said the lack of access to financial support affected the development of women in the area and expressed the hope that the emergence of PLAN-Ghana would help to solve the problems women faced. The child oriented development NGO, working in parts of the Eastern, Central, Northern, Upper West and Upper East Regions had expressed interest in charting development partnership with a district assemblies in the Volta Region.