Chinese to fund Sunyani water expansion - Minister

Sunyani, Dec. 16, GNA – The Chinese government has expressed interest to undertake expansion of the Sunyani Water Supply System, Mr. Kwadwo Nyamekye–Marfo, Brong–Ahafo Regional Minister, has said.

He said processes to source for funding from the Exim Bank of China to start the multi-million dollar project were far advanced.

Mr. Nyamekye–Marfo, who was addressing the 2011 end of year general meeting of the Regional House of Chiefs on Thursday in Sunyani, said the project would expand the treatment plant capacity from 6,800 cubic metres a day to 44, 000 cubic meters to meet the 2030 year water demand of the Sunyani municipality.

“In addition, it is proposed to construct a dam on the River Tano at a location 2.5kilometres upstream of the existing intake at Abesim to store water to meet the 2030 year demand to address the seasonal shortages”, he added.

The Regional Minister said GHC 2,564,231.33 had been spent in providing potable water, improve sanitation and hygiene facilities and services by the Municipal/District Assemblies (M/DAs) in the region through the use of their share of the common fund and their Internally Generated Fund.

He said under the Self-Help Electrification Project (SHEP), electricity has been extended to 216 communities in the region between 2009 and 2011.

NSOC

Social Chinese Project 2 Sunyani

Mr. Nyamekye-Marfo said “the region also benefited from the Ghana Energy Development Project (GEDAP)”, saying under that project, 87 communities from the Sunyani Area of the Volta River Authority/NED and 39 communities within the Techiman Area benefited.

Under the GEDAP, over 18,102 electricity poles have been delivered to Brong–Ahafo Region to be used in the region and the three northern regions, he said, adding that GHC725, 301.69 was spent by the 22 assemblies in this sector.

The Regional Minister expressed regret that whilst government and the M/DAs were spending huge amounts of money in providing electricity to communities, some miscreants were thwarting that effort by stealing the cables.

Mr. Nyamekye–Marfo appealed to well–meaning citizens to be on the lookout by reporting those nation-wreckers to the law enforcement agencies.

He expressed the Regional Co-ordinating Council’s commitment to continue to monitor the development of the Bui Power Project which is 85 per cent complete to ensure no obstacle impedes its steady progress.

The Regional Minister reiterated government’s commitment to ensuring that the biometric voter registration takes place by providing the necessary funds for purchase of equipment for the exercise.

He appealed to the chiefs to encourage their people who are 18 years and above to participate fully in the registration exercise when it begins to enable them exercise their franchise in the 2012 elections.

Social Chinese Project 3 Sunyani (B/A)

Mr. Nyamekye – Marfo announced government’s intention to create four new districts in addition to the 22 existing ones and these are Asutifi South, Sene East, Banda and Dormaa East with Hwidiem, Kadjeji, Banda-Ahenkro and Nkrankwanta as their capitals.

Osahene Kwaku Aterkyi II, Paramount Chief of Kukuom and President of the Brong–Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, said at a recent workshop for them on natural resources management, it became clear traditional authorities received the least amount of distribution and use of land revenue in the country.

Osahene Aterkyie said the House therefore took “the bold decision to fight” for appropriate distribution and right amount to be paid to them.

He said cases which were pending before the judicial committee of the house as at December 2010 and carried to 2011 were 56, comprising 47 petitions and nine appeals.

Osahene Aterkyie said r efforts to use Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADRM) to settle cases out of court did not yield any positive results.

He said after parties had met and a settlement arrived at, one of them would resort to the law court to have the decision reached quashed.