The Central Regional Coordinator of the Local Enterprise and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP), Mr Edwin Okpasi Sowah, has called on beneficiaries of the programme to use equipment and tools given them to be able to raise income to repay the cost of the package.

He gave the advice when he presented tools and equipment to 47 women from the Awutu-Senya District and Awutu East Municipality, at Awutu Beraku.

The beneficiaries made up of 11 caterers, 28 dressmakers and 8 hairdressers, received sewing machines, cooking utensils, hair dryers and sterilizers.

They are expected to pay for the tools and equipment between six and 18 months. Mr Sowah said the LESDEP initiated by the late President John Evans Atta Mills, was to benefit the youth of the nation and not NDC members.

He said that more than 2,000 people in the region have been trained under the program, out of which 1,007 have been supported to set up their own businesses.

Mr Sowah assisted by Lieutenant (rtd) Daniel Osadu, Presiding Member for Awutu Senya Assembly, who deputized for Mr Sampson Abaquaye Armah, Chief Executive for the area, presented the tools.

Lt.(rtd) Osadu advised the youth in Awutu area to register with the assembly to qualify them to benefit from programmes initiated by government towards the betterment of their economic situation.