FIVE-YEAR DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR WESTERN REGION (PAGE 42, SEPT 16, 2010)

THE Western Regional Co-ordinating Council (WRCC) is to formulate a comprehensive five-year development plan and also set up a technical team to spearhead the implementation of the plan towards the rapid socio-economic transformation of the region.
The council has, however, appealed to the government to expedite action on the establishment of the Western Corridor Development Authority to supplement the efforts of the council towards the development of the region.
These were contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a three-day retreat held by officials of the WRCC, Members of Parliament, metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives, as well as representatives of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations and heads of public institutions at the Busua Beach Resort in the Ahanta West District.
The communiqué also called on the government, as a matter of urgency, to stop the granting of new mining licenses for companies to prospect in forest reserves and around water bodies in the region.
It further urged the government to revoke where possible, licenses already granted to all such companies.
“We wish to draw the government’s attention to the fact that the operations of illegal and “semi-illegal” mining companies (including foreign ones) in the forest reserves and around water bodies of the region are a source of great worry to its inhabitants because of the accompanying pollution and severe degradation of the environment,” it stated.
The communiqué called on the Water Resources Commission to live up to its statutory responsibility of regulating the use of water bodies through collaborative efforts with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to enforce the rules and regulations regarding the use of water bodies.
It also entreated the government to use the discovery of oil and gas in the region as the growth pole for its accelerated development and further suggested that all participating oil companies be encouraged to establish their main offices close to their area of operation in the region.
“We further entreat the government to expedite action on the extension of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) to the petroleum sector and involve people of the Western Region more in discussions concerning proposed regulations on oil exploration and other oil industry activities,” the communiqué stated.
The communiqué appreciated efforts being made by the government to make potable water accessible to the people in the region through the implementation of Small Town Water Schemes.
However, it said the region’s accessibility to rural water supply was 44.2 per cent and that was far below the national average of 56 per cent.
The statement, therefore, appealed to the government to take steps to enable the region to achieve the national average of 56 per cent.