Akatsi-North creates Business Development Fund
A fund, “Local Economic Development (LED) Fund”, to assist petty traders to expand their economic activities, has been created by the Akatsi North District Assembly from its resources.
Mr Gunu, District Chief Executive (DCE), announced this at an ordinary Assembly meeting at Ave-Dakpa, in the Volta Region.
He said the LED initiative would operate parallel to the Micro Finance and Small Loans Centre Scheme, a national business development support programme.
The Akatsi-North Assembly is also running a parallel school feeding programme in 10 schools, along the national one from internal funds, which has reportedly resulted in increased enrolment by 40 per cent.
Mr Gunu said the Assembly by May this year netted GH¢2.1 million revenue out of the projected GH¢6.1 million for 2016.
The DCE hinted that the proposed rehabilitation of the Ave-Dakpa Crocodile pond into a major tourist site, when completed, would be named – “Atta Mills Crocodiles Tourist Attraction Site (AMCTAS)”, after the late President John Evans Atta Mills, as credit to his creation of the District.
Mr Gunu said the Assembly would form District football teams, “The Forest Crocodiles” for males and “Crocodile Ladies”, for the ladies that would be nurtured to enter the premier league, to create opportunities for talented youth and market the area.
He said 120 youth in the area, made up of 20 for Community Police Assistants and 85 Community Health Workers, have been recruited under the youth employment programme.
He described infrastructural development of the area as steady.
The DCE appealed to youths to enroll in the Assembly’s Vocational Technical Training School, taking off in September this year at Ave-Afiadenyigba to acquire working skills.
He expressed concern about individual farmers negotiating stay deals with the migrant Fulani herdsmen secretly and refusing to assist the authorities to send them away.
Mr Gunu handed over 5000 copies of hospital folders mobilised by the Assembly to the District Health Directorate following its shortage in the facilities, as well as various relief items to victims of a recent rainstorm disaster.
Source: GNA