The Switzerland Ambassador, Her Excellency (H.E) Mrs. Simone Giger, on Thursday 24th November, 2022 paid a courtesy call on the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) and the staff to familiarize herself with the municipality.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Hon Ansu Kumi, said the Ambassador’s visit was the first by any Swiss Ambassador to the Municipality. He further said that since resuming office, he had been working hard with the Staff to maintain Sunyani as the cleanest city in Ghana
The MCE said, Youth unemployment is on the high ascendency in the Municipality, he therefore appealed to the Ambassador to provide support for the unemployed youth and women through skills development training. The funds he suggested, could be channeled through the Business Advisory Centre of the Assembly, the unit in the Assembly in charge of training. The MCE thanked the Ambassador for their support in providing skill training to the people of Krusua No.1 and Sorfokrom and requested her to extend that kind support to other communities in the municipality.
The MCE indicated that early childhood education has just been made part of the formal education system of the country and because of that infrastructure development in that sector is poor. He therefore requested the Ambassador to consider supporting the Assembly in the provision of infrastructure for early childhood development.
It was also observed that cassava is one of the crops that is produced in abundance in the Municipality but a most of it is sold in its raw state at very low price. The Ambassador was therefore requested to try and support the farmers with simple processing machines to increase the shelf life of the products and increase the income of the farmers.
The Municipal Co-ordinating Director (MCD), Dr Phillip Baazeng, indicated that, Switzerland is one of the countries providing funds to support District Assemblies in the Performance Assessment Tool (DPAT). He requested an increase in the support since the DACF-RFG has become the most reliable revenue source of the Assembly. The details for selecting projects for implementation under the DACF-RFG was explained to the Ambassador.
The Ambassador said, her office had liaised with the Ministry of Finance and other Ministries and agencies to provide funds to support the national budget so that infrastructure can be provided. For the Simple Gari and Rice processing Machines, she appealed to the Assembly to provide her office with concept note for consideration
Finally, The MCE, the Ambassador and Key Staff of the Assembly visited the sites of some projects funded under the DACF-RFG and GSCSP. They were the Construction of 1KM Tarred Road at Social Welfare and Community Development School which is 78% completed and was on-going and a completed 6-Unit Classroom Block at Sunyani Urban Council School, Abetifi.
