The Minister for Information, Hon. Daniel Botwe has cut sod at two ceremonies at Agona Nkwanta and Effia-Kwesimintim in the Western Region to start work under the Ghana Secondary Cities Support Programme (GSCSP).

The ceremonies were towards the reconstruction of a 2.1 Kilometer Road which stretches from the Agona Nkwanta Roundabout through Domeabra to the SSNIT Quarters as well as from Damtse Junction to the Damtse Community in Agona Nkwanta in Ahanta West.

At the Effia-Kwesimintim Municipality, the construction of 850 metres 4.5 metres by 1.5 metres storm drain from Anaji Choice Mart to I. Adu, also, the construction of a three cell three (3) metres by 2. 5 metres box culvert at Effia and a two-cell three (3) metres by 2.5 meters box culvert at Bankyease and 150 metres storm drain, and the construction of two-storey 57 Unit Lockable shops and four offices at Kwesimintim, as well as the paving of Kwesimintim lorry station.

The Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD) through the Government of Ghana received funds from the International Development Association (IDA) towards the cost of the Ghana Secondary Cities Support Programme (GSCSP).

The programme was being implemented in 25 Municipalities but was expanded by the sector Minister last year to 35 Municipalities.

Effia-Kwesimintim has been a beneficiary of the GSCSP since its inception in 2019, while Agona Nkwanta is one of the additional 10 Municipalities to also benefit from the programme for the first time.

Source:            Public Relations Unit (MLGDRD)

The Ministry of Local Government Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD) and the Social Investment Fund (SIF) have launched phase II of the Integrated Rural Development Project (IRDP II).

It is a plan to improve access to social and economic infrastructure as well as boost access to credits for small and medium enterprises involved in food crop marketing, agro-processing and other activities along the agricultural value chain.

The project is being implemented in 23 districts in the sixteen regions of Ghana; it has been designed to improve the living conditions of rural communities by providing access to basic infrastructure and socio-economic services including health and education and to ensure a sustainable increase in income through the provision of micro-credit to the rural impoverished communities.

The goal of the project is to facilitate job creation, enhance access to socio-economic infrastructure and improve livelihoods for sustainable poverty reduction. The project will also increase rural communities' resilience to climate change's impact.

Mr. Daniel Botwe, Hon. Minister for MLGDRD was optimistic that the project will be implemented to serve the people's aspirations at the grassroots level to engender poverty alleviation.

Emeritus Professor Kwasi Kwafo Adarkwa who was chair for the event opined that the results of projects long after implementation should be mainstreamed into the operational workplans of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to consolidate the gains of project implementation for sustainable development. This he said will result in on-ground actions to actually ensure poverty alleviation.

Source:              Public Relations Unit (MLGDRD)

The Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Hon. Daniel Botwe has said that poverty can be alleviated when well-structured laid down policies of the government are enforced focusing on decentralisation.

He noted that the vision of the Ministry as a policy-formulating entity is to attain good governance and equitable and balanced development at the local level through its policies.

Hon. Daniel Botwe made the above observation at an international conference on the theme, "Piloting China's Targeted Poverty Alleviation Model in West Africa under Chinese Pace to Modernisation."

He noted that the government needs to ensure policies geared towards poverty alleviation are enforced and adequately supervised.

1. E. Lu Kun, China's Ambassador to Ghana, noted that his country has reduced poverty from 90 percent to one percent in recent years, noting that "China's poverty alleviation model is not one size fits all."

Mr. Kun said China is ready to support West Africa to alleviate poverty at the rural level.

Source:        Public Relations Unit (MLGDRD)