The government of Ghana, under the Ghana Urban Management Pilot Project, has secured a 40 million euro grant to help improve the lot of butchers and ensure consumer safety in the country. The facility, which is being provided by the French government, would be distributed to three metropolitan assemblies – Kumasi, Tamale and Takoradi – and one municipal assembly, Ho. Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, announced this in Accra Wednesday when he presented 15 trucks to the Ghana Co-operative Butchers Association on behalf of the Local Enterprise and Skill Development (LESDEP). He said a state of the art abattoir would be built at Ho, while the existing abattoirs in the three metropolises would be rehabilitated. Mr Ofosu Ampofo, who is also the ruling National Democratic Congress parliamentary aspirant for Tema West, maintained that the ‘father for all’ mantra, as professed by President Mills, was not in vain, “as every facets of the economy is being taken care of”. He cited the presentation of vehicles to the butchers and the various modules being undertaken by LESDEP to buttress his point. He also emphasized that the government’s “Better Ghana Agenda knows no bounds”, and indicated that he foresaw a situation where all metropolises, municipals and districts would benefit from the trucks which was given to the butchers at a subsidized cost of GH¢37,840 without deposit – the original price was GH¢ 42,430. Mr Adem Gariba, Coordinator of LESDEP, asked the recipients to take good care of the trucks and promised a package for groups that would pay for the vehicles on time. He was hopeful they would enhance their business by reducing the cost of transport, which has hitherto been a factor in the high retail cost of meat. Mr Kwabena Osei Boaten, Managing Director of Accra Abattoir, admonished the butchers to repay regularly to enable others to benefit from the facility. He advocated for a meat law in the country to enable the Food and Drugs Board to regulate their business properly including the importation of livestock from the neighbouring countries. Chief Alhaji Issifu Dantankwa, National Secretary of Ghana Co-operative Butchers Association, on behalf of the recipients thanked the government for the gesture and promised to take good care of the vehicles, and put them into good use. He indicated that the Association now “feels part of the government’s Better Ghana Agenda”. He was also grateful to LESDEP, and the Vice President, John Mahama for honouring a promise made to them and also ensuring that the butchers are catered for.