Mr Daniel Botwe, Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD), says the phase of the Integrated Rural Development Project (IRDP II) would improve the living conditions of rural communities.
He said this would be done by providing access to basic infrastructure and socio-economic services, including health and education, and to ensure sustainable increase in income through the provision of micro-credit to the rural impoverished communities.
The minister said this at the launch of the IRDP II in Accra, which aimed at facilitating job creation, enhancing access to socio-economic infrastructure, and improving livelihoods for sustainable poverty reduction.
The IRDP II made up of US$ 24 million credit agreement between the Government of Ghana and the OPEC Fund International Development (OFID) is to be implemented in 23 selected Municipal and District Assemblies in all the 16 regions for a period of five years, 2022 to 2027.
The 23 Municipal and District Assemblies within the 16 regions include Tema West, Offinso North, Afigya Kwabre North, Sekyere Central, Sekyere Afram Plains, Okere, Akuapim South, Ayensuano, Assin North.
The others include Awutu Senya, Essikado-ketan, Adaklu, Karaga, Binduri, Sunyani West, Wenchi, Techiman, Lambussie, Akontombra, Krachi West, Asunafo South, East Gonja and Chereponi.
The IRDP I improved access of the rural poor to basic socio-economic infrastructure, increased agricultural productivity and households.
Mr Botwe said the government of Ghana in partnership with the African Development Bank and the United Nations Development Programme established the Social Investment Fund (SIF) in 1998 as a pro-poor institution, to contribute effectively to reducing rural and urban poverty in Ghana.
He added that since its incorporation as a company limited by guarantee, SIF had attained the confidence of multilateral institutions, private business entities and the government of Ghana.
The minister said SIF had provided over 1,574 socio-economic infrastructural facilities for rural and least developed communities in the country, and that, SIF had disbursed over USD5 million to Small and Medium Enterprises, particularly in the agricultural sector to promote agribusinesses.
Mr Botwe said, 'as a mechanism to address the rural poverty issue, in 2011 - OPEC Fund and BADEA co-financed the IRDP I in 21 district assemblies across the country, which included the construction of 78 basic socio-economic infrastructural facilities as well as the provision of credit to SMEs.'
The minister indicated that after the successful implementation of the IRDP I, the government of Ghana, submitted relevant project documents incorporating lessons learnt during the implementation of the Phase 1 to OPEC Fund to co-finance Phase 2 of the project.
He said the ministry would ensure that the goal and objectives of the project were realised using the local government structures and would be monitored and supervised effectively to ensure that the aspirations and needs of the citizenry were met and desired impact achieved.
Mr Justice Mensah Amankwa, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), SIF, said through the IRDP I, 21 disadvantaged districts had access to better socio-economic infrastructure and services due to the provision of 256 socio-economic infrastructure under the project.
He added that the IRDP I provided improved school facilities for 9,180 pupils and also provided accommodation for 96 teachers within the beneficiary districts.
The CEO also indicated that the IRDP I supported 3,046 Small and Medium Scale Enterprises and farmers with a revolving loan amount of USD 3,120,000.
Mr Amankwa noted that there was increased demand from poor communities within the 'poverty pockets' of Ghana for support, and that it was imperative to implement policies and programmes that would meet the needs of the disadvantaged and thereby increase the scope of opportunities of the 'unreached poor.'
Source: Ghana News Agency