Elmina, Dec. 23, GNA - The Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Joseph Samuel Annan gave the assurance on Tuesday that, there "will be smiles on the faces of Ghanaians next year because the economy will be better". He said this year had been a difficult year, due to the fact that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration inherited an economy which was in shambles.

Dr Annan, who is also the Member of Parliament for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA), said the difficult situation had taken the President, John Evans Atta Mills and his team a hectic time in trying to fix it. Dr. Annan gave the assurance when he addressed the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) municipal assembly's ordinary session. He noted that the measures taken for the first year was a difficult one "but it is going to be different next year", he declared.

He said despite the difficulties, the government has been able to achieve some of its promises in its manifesto, which includes the allocation of 30% of its budget to education, "one of the highest in the whole of the sub-region".

Dr. Annan said the Ministry of Education will soon start the rehabilitation of all the 25 science resource centres in the country to enable children to have a solid foundation for the study of science and technology, to help propel the country into a middle income economy. The programme for the distribution of school uniforms and 42 million exercise books for school children in deprived areas were also on course. On the oil find, Dr. Annan expressed his worry that, Ghanaian welders do not have the technical ability to qualify for employment at the country's oil fields.

It was therefore imperative for the government to give greater attention to science and technology based subjects for students, to develop their potentials to the fullest and for the benefit of the country, he stressed.

Dr. Annan called for discipline, timeliness, commitment, transparency and accountability from Ghanaians to help facilitate a "better Ghana" for all.

On the development of the KEEA municipality, Dr. Annan said the government was sourcing for investments and partnerships for the area and that soon the Coca Cola Bottling Company will build a plant there to generate employment for the youth.

He was of the view that the school shift system be abolished so that pupils can have "the right contact hours for teaching and learning" and appealed to all stakeholders to make the interest of the municipality first to ensure its development.

Reverend Mrs Veronica Essuman-Nelson, Municipal Chief Executive, expressed concern about the low educational standards in the municipality and appealed to the educational sub-committee of the assembly to work towards redeeming standards.

She said a list of schools, under trees and dilapidated buildings, have been submitted to the GETFund for action, and was optimistic that they will soon be addressed. She expressed her gratitude to Gouda City in the Netherlands, of which it has Sister-City relationship with for its numerous assistances to the municipality, adding that, just recently the KEEA received a power generator from the city that could light up the whole municipality. 23 Dec. 09 23-12-09