At symposium marking 60th anniversary of Brong-Ahafo Region: Govt working to resource new regions – Osafo-Maafo
The Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo said government was working out other financing options to compliment budgetary allocation for the newly created regions to speed up their socio economic development agenda.
This, he explained, was to tackle the current disparities in the distribution of national resources in meeting developmental needs of the new regions.
Mr Osafo-Maafo who was addressing a symposium organised by the Bono Regional House of Chiefs as part of activities marking the 60th anniversary celebration of the erstwhile Brong-Ahafo Region, stated that the initial GH¢20 million seed capital given to the new regions was not enough to meet their development needs hence the move to further resource them.
The Senior Minister said the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo, has constituted a high powered inter-ministerial committee for the development of the newly created regions.
The Committee he said consists of the Ministers for Finance, Roads and Highways and Energy and was chaired by Mr Dan Botwe, Minister of Regional Reorganisation and Development.
He explained that the sole reason for the creation of the regions was to give the people more powers to define and determine their own pathway for their development.
He assured the chiefs and the people of the three regions (Bono, Bono East and Ahafo), that government would not take them for granted and urged them to continue to support it to succeed.
The Senior Minister commended the region for producing illustrious sons and daughters for contributing their quota towards national development.
Mr Alex Kwasi Awuah, Deputy Managing Director, ARB Apex Bank who spoke on business opportunities in the three regions, appealed for the setting up of investment units at the various regional coordinating councils to actively market investment opportunities in the area to the outside world.
He also appealed to the Regional House of Chiefs to address the numerous chieftaincy cases before it so as to enhance peace and development of their area.
FROM DANIEL DZIRASAH, SUNYANI
