Political interference affects devt - Participants

Sunyani (B/A), Sept. 14, GNA - Participants at a two-day trainers of trainees' workshop on Community-Based Rural Development Project (CBRDP) at Sunyani in the Brong-Ahafo Region on Tuesday cited some bottlenecks that impeded the progress of developmental projects in the region.

They mentioned political interference, lack of funds, apathy on the part of some communities to honour their obligations on projects and lack of co-ordination and education for the people on projects. The 40 participants including two women were selected from 10 out of the 19 Municipal and district assemblies in the region would be trained on the CBRDP to enable them train members of the various Area Councils and opinion leaders to be abreast with the Government's Decentralization policy.

They were from Sunyani Municipality, Asunafo North and South, Asutifi, Berekum, Dormaa, Jaman North and South, Tano North and South districts.

Another workshop scheduled for September 15-17 for other districts in the region are, Pru, Kintampo North and South, Atebubu-Amantin, Wenchi and Techiman.

An orientation workshop on CBRDP had already been organised for Municipal and District Chief Executives, Chiefs and Queenmothers. The workshop was organised by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for Planning Officers, Budget Analysts and Officers, Officials from Community Development, the Department of Social Welfare, Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) Assembly members and opinion leaders

Mr. Mensah Abrampah Agyabeng, Principal Economic Planning Officer at the Brong-Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council (BARCC) said the workshop was a national exercise to educate stakeholders in the 138 Metropolitan, Municipal and District assemblies.

Mr Agyabeng said under the Project, 150 million cedis had been earmarked for two Area Councils in each of the 138 Metropolitan, Municipal and Districts in the country for Agro-based projects. The project is jointly financed by the World Bank, French Agency for Development and the Government of Ghana.

Five main components under the project are, Institutional Strengthening and Capacity-Building, Infrastructure for Agricultural Development, Infrastructure for Social and Human Development, Rural Enterprise Department and Community-Based Natural Resources Management Topics discussed included Decentralization Process and the District Assembly Concept policy and the Role of Area Council Members.