Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia on Friday cut sod for the official commencement of a 1.8-million-euro rubber plantation project at Assin Nsuta in the Central Region.
The 826-acre rubber plantation, an initiative of the Anglican Diocese of Accra (ADOA), and supported by the Agric Development Bank (ADB), is expected to create jobs for the youth within the community.
Speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony, the Vice-President commended the Anglican Diocese of Accra for the initiative, and highlighted the immense benefits it will bring to the local community and the nation as a whole.
“In this day and age when we are all seeking and asking for what we can benefit from the Government instead of what we can contribute, it fills me with great joy and gladness to see the Anglican Church in Ghana, specifically the Accra Diocese, become a change agent. Indeed, this is what practical Bible or Christian doctrine and principles are founded on. That is collaboration with the state to help citizens, especially the poor and vulnerable members of society cope, with daily challenges,” Dr. Bawumia said.
The Vice-President indicated that the project would go a long way to create decent jobs for the teeming youth in the area, and contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.
He underscored the importance of natural rubber, saying “its production in the country will not only reduce the cost of import but also contribute significantly to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)”.
Commitment
Government, he said, is geared towards supporting private entities, and is ready to partner faith based institutions to undertake meaningful ventures. He also reiterated government’s commitment towards prioritising the agriculture sector since it plays a significant role to the country’s GDP.
“The agricultural sector, as we all know, accounts for one fifth of the nation’s GDP. It employs nearly half of the country’s workforce, and is the main source of livelihood for the majority of the country’s poorest households, hence the need to focus on policies like the Planting for Food and Jobs to boost our agricultural sector,” he pointed out.
“I am very excited today; this is a very important undertaking, and we cannot afford to let it fail,” he said, describing the plantation project as a “game changer”, providing nourishment for many industrial establishments.
He said the rubber plantation project also ties in with government flagship initiatives such as the Planting for Food and Jobs and the 1D1F vision of the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu-Bio, appealed to the Anglican Diocese across the country to actively participate in the upcoming national tree planting exercise on June 10, 2022, the Green Ghana Day, and commended the Church for its support during the first edition.
Mr Owusu-Bio said arrangements were being made for the distribution of seedlings of various tree species through all regional and district forestry offices to selected locations for collection.
He affirmed the commitment of the ministry to assisting ADOA plantation in the processing of land documentation and other related issues, and encouraged them to continue to expand the project to secure a sustainable source of revenue to the church and for the benefit of its members.