Some 66 District Chief Executives from participatory districts of the Rural Enterprises Project (REP) are to meet in the Brong Ahafo Regional capital, Sunyani, next week to deliberate on fighting rural poverty. The meeting is part of the strategies of REP to consolidate gains since 1995 and also garner support from the newly elected DCEs. The Project, financed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Ghana Government is part of government’s efforts towards poverty reduction in the country. REP aims at developing a competitive rural Micro and Small-Scale Enterprise (MSE) sector to create wealth and improve the quality of life in rural areas, especially among women and the vulnerable. About 10,617 new businesses have been established and 31,872 jobs created in 53 districts since the second phase of the Project started in 2003. The Project offers rural financial services, technology promotion as well as business development and marketing support to rural businesses. Management of the project considers the Sunyani meeting as a major catalyst towards the achievement of its target of establishing 25,000 businesses, creating 75,000 jobs and linking 6,250 MSEs to larger commercial enterprises. Trade and Industry Minister Ms. Hannah Tetteh and officials of the Local Government and Rural Development Ministry are expected to address the meeting, with the view of emphasizing government’s commitment to using decentralization as an effective tool for rural development. Ahead of the seminar for the DCEs, a project review meeting is on-going for management and field staff of REP, the management of the National Board for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI), and GRATIS Foundation. The review meeting is being used to take stock of progress of project implementation for the first half of the year and to update field officers with new developments. It is also to provide a learning environment for both management and staff of the project, and to strategize for improved performance during the rest of the year. Source: Kwasi Atta-Antwi (Project Coordinator)