Apam (C/R), Jan 10, GNA - The government and development partners have executed 30 projects in Gomoa District last year. The projects, which were mainly on education, health and sanitation sectors, were executed in collaboration with the European Union (EU) Micro Project, Community-Based Rural Development Project (CBRDP), Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) and the Ministry of Education Science Sports (MOESS).

Madam Joyce Aidoo, District Chief Executive, said this at the third meeting of the first session of the assembly at Apam. Madam Aidoo commended communities that had worked for early completion of their projects and expressed regret at the lacklustre attitude of those who had delayed completion of theirs. She informed the assembly the district had been allocated GH=A230 million for the cultivation of jatropher plant in the area but it came with "long and stringent disbursement directives." Madam Aidoo said committees were being formed to enable the money to be disbursed for the project to take off as early as possible. A Child Panel had been inaugurated to be responsible for handling all issues involving children in the district.

A Sanitation Committee has also been formed to coordinate the activities of the Youth Employment personnel and those of Zoomlion and the District Environmental Health for effectiveness in the sanitation programme.

Madam Aidoo said to enable the assembly to pay members' ex-gratia awards at the end of their term of office, the Executive Committee had decided that GH=A2200 be set aside every month for that purpose. Mr Fred Oscar Abban, the Presiding Member, expressed regret at the inability of the assembly to execute projects it proposed to do in the supplementary budget.

Mr Abban said the mandatory deductions made from the Common Fund rendered the assembly "impotent" and that last year about GH=A210,000 of the assembly's share of the Common Fund went into deductions. He appealed to members to support revenue collectors in generating internal revenue "since it is becoming clear that we cannot rely very much on the overloaded Common Fund for our development projects".