Accra, Sept 15, GNA - The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo has visited the nine most deprived villages in his constituency to inspect ongoing projects, a statement from the Ministry said on Monday.

The statement said at Kyremanse, Yaw Donkor, Aprokumasi and Mafram, the Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Akyem Oda, inspected a three-unit classroom block built by the District Assembly. The statement said the chiefs and parents in these villages thanked the government for the provision of these facilities within the last 24 months.

It said at Yaw Donkoh where the people from nine different settlements converged to attend classes under sheds, they appealed to the MP to provide accommodation for at least three teachers to enable them to make use of the new classroom block.

The Chief of Yaw Donkor said teachers posted to the village never stayed in the town for more than three months.

At Bedukrom, Onomabo and Akiankama Nkwanta, the MP inspected clinics being constructed for about six settlements with funding from the District Assembly's share of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Fund and European Union Micro projects scheme.

The Minister inspected toilets being constructed at Akiankama Nkwanta and Manso. At Tabita, Mr Ossfo-Maafo inspected a well. The statement said in all these villages, which are cocoa growing communities, the chiefs thanked the government for diligently spraying their farms free of charge and increasing cocoa prices three times. The farmers told the Minister that they had not only doubled production but were harvesting cocoa throughout the year.

They appealed to Cocobod to inspect the weighing scales being used by the cocoa buying agencies.