Stakeholder collaboration with the government is key to the attainment of qualitative development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the country,

Mr Samuel Addai Agyekum, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Sekyere Kumawu District in Ashanti said on Tuesday.

He said cross-sector social development, especially in key areas such as agriculture, health, sanitation, education and the rural economy, can never be achieved without the concerted efforts of all stakeholders.

Mr Agyekum was speaking at this year’s first ordinary General Assembly Meeting of the Sekyere Kumawu District Assembly held at Kumawu, the district capital.

He said it was imperative for the government to court the invaluable support of stakeholders such as the Traditional Councils, Faith Organizations and other development partners, to achieve development at the local level.

The DCE said the development strides so far made by the Assembly in consonance with the mission to improve the quality of life of the people, through the provision of essential services and infrastructure, could not have been possible without stakeholder support.

He mentioned some of these as the Planting for Exports and Rural Development (PERD), in agriculture under which the Assembly distributed 250,000 cashew seedlings last year to 211 farmers across the District for the cultivation of 2,500 hectares of cashew plantation.

“It is expected that the incomes from the cultivation of the cashew will boost the income levels of the farmers and this by extension would improve the standard of living in the local economy – a step towards the achievement of the SDG 1, 2 and 3’’, he noted.

On Cocoa, the DCE said the Assembly has since November 2018 set up a 250,000 nursery of cocoa seedlings at Bahankra, a farming community in the district and are in the process distributing free seedlings to 50 registered cocoa farmers comprising of 35 males and 15 females.

“With regard to boosting local rice production with the focus of the district becoming a brand name in Ghana in local rice production, the District Food and Agricultural Directorate in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has embarked on a district-wide local rice cultivation project, under which a large acreage of arable land, has been made available for the venture”, he added.

Mr Agyekum said the project is funded by the DACF at a cost of GH¢ 20,000.00 is aimed at creating jobs for the youth, boosting the internally generated funds of the Assembly as well as enhancing the local economy of the area.

He commended the central government and stakeholders especially donors, development partners and the local citizens and business operators for their contributions to these development efforts.