Hajia Alima Mahama Announces Ghana's New Rural Development Policy

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Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Hajia Alima Mahama said the government has developed a rural development policy that would serve as a guideline for coordinated service delivery and investment in rural communities.

The minister said the policy was aimed at modernizing agriculture to promote rural growth and development, provide quality socio-economic infrastructure and services in a decent and secure environment, as well as maximize the potential of rural areas for the development and industrialization of rural enterprises.

The document will also promote the sustainable management and use of natural resources for the benefit of the rural population, promote financial inclusion in rural communities and strengthen the participation of rural communities in the decentralized governance system.

Hajia Alima Mahama revealed it during the meeting with the press in Accra on Wednesday, May 29th.

The minister said some projects had been completed during the year as part of the Ghana Social Opportunities Project (GSOP). These include small dams and some adapted for irrigation, 20 feeder roads and 78 climate change interventions.

She also stated that 9,450 jobs had been created and total salary payments for the workforce amounted to 5.67 million GHS.

"My Ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), has secured $ 60,000,000 from the World Bank to implement the productive safety net project. from Ghana, "she said.

According to the Minister, "An endowment of US $ 40,000,000 from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) will be used for projects such as feeder roads, earth dams, Underground shelters and nurseries to produce 8 million fruit plants to be planted within a target area of ​​1,300 hectares. "

It revealed that the project would create 30,000 direct jobs through a labor-intensive public works program (LIPW) and provide grants to 25,000 people for small business start-ups through a program. of productive inclusion.

She said: "The Department, in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs, has launched the Plantation for Export and Rural Development Program (PERD) as part of its efforts to support the national tree growing program. of the government. PERD wants to use the tree crop sub-sector to generate sustainable income and create jobs in rural areas "

During the 2018 pilot year, 4.5 million tree seedlings (mainly cashew nuts, coconut and oil palm) were harvested from nurseries in 106 districts. , and a total of 68,514 farmers planted the plants on 68,514 hectares.

She said that, thanks to the implementation of the Integrated Rural Development Project (IRDP) implemented by the Social Investment Fund (SIF), a total of 245 socio-economic infrastructures have been provided and are available. various levels of completion, as follows: 26 have been completed and in use, 94 of them have a completion rate of between 51 and 99%; and 25 have a completion rate of less than 50%.

"The implementation of these infrastructures has created 2,185 jobs and 14,04 million GHS were paid as compensation to those involved. Under the microcredit program of the PDIR, 6,204 farmers received a credit of a total of 10,326,805.00 GHS, "she added.