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Do Excellent Job•Kufuor Urges MCA |
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President John Agyekum Kufuor has called on the consultants working on Ghana’s Millennium Challenge Compact to ensure that every aspect of the implementation is tackled with a sense of professionalism. |
“I do not expect anything less than excellence,” he said.
When he joined the Board and Management of the Millennium Challenge Authority (MiDA), the main implementing body of the Compact and consultants on Sunday at a retreat, the President advised the consultants who were selected competitively to partner MiDA to improve the agricultural industry to ensure that “the programme was an exemplary one”.
In addition, he asked them to make sure the programme was completed on time to ensure that cost was managed within the agreed budgets.
Before holding closed-door discussions with the participants at the retreat which included the US Deputy Vice President of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) responsible for the implementation of the Compact in Africa, Jonathan Bloom, President Kufuor said “I have no doubt in my mind that MCC will continue to do everything possible to ensure the speedy implementation of this laudable programme.”
Under the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), a George W. Bush initiative, Ghana stands to benefit from $547 million to modernize and transform the country’s agriculture.
The President used the opportunity to assure Ghanaians of government’s commitment to the successful delivery of the benefits “which the programme promises for the economy and the people, especially smallholder farmers in selected districts.”
He observed that, exactly a year after the Compact was signed, the building blocks were now in place to support the commencement of the implementation phase of the project.
Significant among plans for the year include activities relating to commercial development and disbursement of funds to farmers, related small and medium scale agro-enterprises, construction of trunk and feeder roads in the Afram Basin and other Intervention Zones in the North and South, and the automation of rural banks to ensure the inclusion of the rural areas in the financial economy.
Also, there would be rehabilitation of schools and other social infrastructure in some farming communities as well as the improvement of Ferry Services for crossing from Adawso to Ekye Amanfrom.
“I particularly look forward to a significant improvement in Accra’s transportation infrastructure with the commencement of construction activities on the George W. Bush Motorway later in the year,” the President said.
Earlier, Mr Edward Boateng, Chairman of the MiDA Board, stated that the retreat which would focus on agriculture, transportation and community service would also look at achievements and challenges in the past six months and those for the rest of the year.
According to him, all major procurements had been completed for the smooth take-off of the programme, adding that the programme will alleviate the poverty of over 2000 Ghanaians as well as enhance the lives of a million people.
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