Nkoranza (B/A) Sept. 27 GNA - Mr Kwame Amporfo-Twumasi, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Nkoranza, said the assembly has been allocated 4.614 billion cedis as its share of the 2003 Common Fund. Speaking at the assembly's third ordinary meeting at Nkoranza, he said 1,885,380,994.00 cedis have so far been received for the first-two quarters of the year.

The DCE commended the government for the timely release of the money for development projects in the district.

Mr Amporfo-Twumasi hinted that the Assembly had also received 1.5 billion cedis from the HIPC Fund and the first instalment of 1 billion cedis had been spent on a number of development projects in the area. The projects include the construction of nurses' quarters at Bonsu, two six-unit blocks of classrooms at Nkoranza for Effa Preparatory Primary School, Nkoranza Preparatory "A" primary and one three-unit block of classrooms for Odumase Catholic Junior Secondary School. Others are water project for Akumsa-Domase and the provision of seven refuse containers for the Nkoranza Township.

On the HIV/AIDS, Mr Amporfo-Twumasi said the government had released 145 million cedis through the Ghana AIDS Revolving Fund (GARFUND) for disbursement to some community-based organizations for the campaign against the spread of the pandemic.

He said the government has also given approval for the release of about 1.529 billion cedis under the Social Investment Fund (SIF) to the Nkoranza District Assembly to undertake a number of development projects.

Mr Ampofo-Twumasi said projects envisaged under the SIF included the construction of clinics at Manso, Akuma/Brahoho, two blocks of six-unit classroom blocks at Senya and Nkoranza and the construction of a 6.2 kilometre farm track at Bonkuru.

He stated that as part of the Poverty Reduction Strategy, Action Aid (Ghana) and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) were assisting about 22 farmers in the district to rear grass cutters.

He said about 60 million cedis were been spent on the purchase of logistics and the importation of special grass cutters breeds for the rearing of the animals in selected communities.

Mr. Hayford Francis Amoako, Member of Parliament for the area, urged the assembly members to educate the people on the need to pay their taxes promptly and regularly to enable the assembly to generate more revenue for development.

He reminded the members that the allocation of the Common Fund would depend on how much revenue the assembly would be able to mobilize from traditional sources and called on revenue collectors to work hard to achieve their targets.

The MP appealed to the assembly and unit committee members and traditional rulers to encourage all persons who had attained 18 years and above to register their names when the voters' register is opened.