Publish roads constructed with the highway tolls

Koforidua, March, 20, GNA - The Eastern Regional Organizer of the National Democratic Congress, (NDC) Mr Bismark Tawiah Boateng, has urged the Ministry of Roads and Highways to regularly publicize roads which are being constructed with revenue from the Road Fund. He said the Ministry could erect billboards informing users about those roads that their contributions built or improved upon, adding, "Ghanaians would, consequently, appreciate the need for the increment in the tolls.

Mr Boateng was speaking at a workshop in Koforidua for constituency organizers and their assistants from the 28 constituencies in the Region to educate them on their roles in the party. He urged the organizers to maintain a close relationship with their District Chief Executives to have information on all government projects in their areas so that wh en issues crop up they would speak from a well-informed position.

Mr Boateng announced that the government would introduce the contract brigade concept to create employment for those with employable skills to help create wealth for artisans.

The Deputy Regional Women's Organizer, Ms Stella Obeng, explained that it was not possible for all party workers to be employed in the public sector at once so it would be a gradual process. She said what was important was for the leadership of the party to work hard to ensure that the party stayed in power for a longer period so that more opportunities would be created for employment. Dr Owusu Acheampong, a resource person, called on the organizers to take advantage of the various Distance Education Programmes of tertiary institutions to upgrade themselves.

He called on the participants to always plan and budget ahead so that whenever resources were available they would be able to implement their programmes.

The Eastern Regional Co-ordinator of the National Youth Employment Programme, (NYEP) Mr Joshua Atta Mensah, said the government had no intention of scraping the NYEP.

He explained that the government inherited a complicated problem due to the irregular nature of the sources of funding for the programme and was, therefore, making efforts to regularize that aspect. He explained that while the scheme required GHC 4,500,000 per month for the payment of salaries the only regular source of its funding was the talk tax, which generates only GHC 400,000 monthly. Mr Atta Mensah said agricultural inputs supplied to farmers under the programme for them to increase their yields, make profit and pay back the support was poorly managed with huge debts left unpaid. He said in New Juaben GHC 43,000 was lost; Fanteakwa, GHC 50,000 while in Kwaebibirim District, one million Ghana cedis was lost through the poor management of the project.