Nyarkrom (C/R) June 28, GNA- President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday cut the sod for bitumen surfacing of the 15 KM Agona -Nyarkrom-Otsenkorang-Bosompa feeder road in the Central Region. The project which is being founded by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) under the cocoa roads improvement and government of Ghana is an integral part of the 15-kilometre of roads per district initiated by the government.

It is being executed by M/S Sarawate Construction Limited at the cost of GH¢ 2,140 million and would be completed in 24 months. The project, which is being implemented by the Department of Feeder Roads, will be in three phases covering 600 kilometres of tarred roads in the cocoa growing areas, with the phase one comprising 211.6 kilometres of cocoa roads to be tarred, of which 33.4 kilometre would be in the Central Region. The President also cut the sod for the construction of cocoa farmers' low-cost housing scheme at Nyarkrom.

The houses would comprises three-bed rooms, hall, toilet and bathroom.

President Kufuor said roads play an important role in the socio-economic development of the country and that government places much importance to roads stressing that a lot of money has been spend on road constructions in the past seven years.

He said in 2002 there were only 32,500 feeder roads in Ghana of which 820 were tarred and that the figure had increased to more than 42,000 in six years with 1,500 of them being tarred, adding that, with the tarring of the 15km per 160 district roads, many more feeder roads would be tarred.

On cocoa production he said it was the first time in the history of the country that cocoa farmers were paid bonus three times in a year, adding that, they have already been paid the February bonus and would be paid in July with the final payment in October-November.

President Kufuor said over the past seven years, cocoa production has increased to record levels of over 700,00 metric tonnes from a low level of production of 389,772 metric tonnes in 2001 and that the producer price have also reached record levels increasing from A2347.5 per tonne in 2000/2001 to A21200 in the current crop season and that bonuses in all crop seasons since 2001 except the 2004/05 season have been paid.

The President said the government was committed to the welfare of cocoa farmers and would continue to pay high and remunerative producers prices and also pay bonuses to enhance their living conditions.

He said plans were far advanced to assist sheanut farmers to increase production since there was a ready market for the commodity in countries such as Japan, adding that, very soon, a housing scheme would also be extended to sheanut farmers to enable them give of their best. Professor Gyan-Baffour deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning said under the cocoa farmers housing scheme a special loan scheme has been set up for cocoa farmer and that a steering committee has also been established to supervise the effective implementation of the housing scheme.

Dr Richard Anane, Minister of Transportation said, in addition to the 15km per district road a total of 600 km of gravel roads would be upgraded to bitumen surface under the Ghana Cocoa Board component of the programme by September 2009.

He said the upgrading of the district roads that were not in cocoa growing areas would be implemented under the "feeder roads improvement projects" funded by the European Union, district capital roads improvement projects funded by the Japanese counter value fund and Ghana road fund.

Mr. Isaac Osei, Chief Executive Officer Ghana Cocobod said the government has done a lot for cocoa farmers and would continue to assist them to produce more cocoa and stressed that it was in this regard that the government was tarring most of the roads in the cocoa growing areas as well as instituting the housing schemes for them. Mr. Osei said under the housing scheme about 100 low cost houses would be built and that, already 10 have been built for cocoa farmers in Enchi, Wassa Afranse and Yawmatwa at a cost of A215,000 each. The Central Regional Minister, in his welcoming address commended the president for the numerous development projects including the, Mallam Yamoransa road, Cape Coast, Kwanyaku, Baifikrom and Winneba water projects, Cape Coast stadium which the region has benefited from. He was also happy with the construction of the 15 km roads in the districts and said this would help facilitate the carting of both cash and food crops from the hinterlands to the ports and urban areas and would as well increase the economic activities and income of people in the rural communities.

Nana Nyarko Edu X, Omanhene of Nyarkrom traditional area, who chaired the function, also thanked the President for the laudable policies which has brought about the school feeding programme and capitation grant.

He also thanked the government for the roads and appealed that Nyarkrom should be made a district. Five computers and a printer each were presented to Nyarkrom SHS, Swedru SHS, Assin-Manso, Obiri Yeboah, Breman-Asikuma, Obrachire , Gomoa Senior High Technical school, by the Cocobod.