The list comprises 79 donors from various sectors including politicians, corporate entities, religious institutions, and individuals.

Appiatse, a farming community situated between Bogoso and Bawdie in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality of the Western Region, witnessed the completion of housing units after enduring a tragic incident over two years ago.

Following an explosion that devastated the entire settlement, claiming lives and causing widespread destruction of property and livelihoods, the reconstruction initiative was launched.

The government promptly initiated the rebuilding process post the unfortunate incident, resulting in the completion of 124 housing units along with supplementary amenities for the affected individuals.

These newly constructed structures, ranging from one-bedroom to seven-bedroom units, feature enhanced facilities such as a market, six-unit classroom and kindergarten blocks, internal road networks, access to water and electricity, a drainage system, and water storage provisions.

The upcoming inauguration of these buildings by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo signifies the commencement of the first phase of the reconstruction project, paving the way for the subsequent phases to follow.

Background:

n January 2022, a tragic incident unfolded when a vehicle transporting approximately 10 tonnes of mining explosives to the Chirano Mines collided with a motorcycle, resulting in the detonation of the explosives that obliterated the entire community.

The ensuing inferno engulfed hundreds of residential and commercial buildings, leaving many residents and travelers trapped in the chaos.

An endowment fund, chaired by Rev Dr Joyce Aryee was established to help raise funds for the reconstruction of the Appiatse community.

The other four members of the committee for the fund are the Managing Director of Cal Bank, Mr Philip Owiredu; the Chief Executive officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Mr Sulemanu Kone; the Paramount Chief of the Wassa Amenfi Traditional Area, Tetrete Okuamoah Sekyim II; and a Social Development Research fellow at the Centre for Social Policy Studies at the University of Ghana, Dr Antoinette Adjoa Tsiboe-Darko.

See the entire list of contributors below;

LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS TO THE APPIATSE SUPPORT FUND FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW APPIATSE TOWNSHIP

1. His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo

2. His Excellency Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia 3. Her Excellency Rebecca Akufo-Addo

4. Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, MP

5. Hon Benito Owusu-Bio, MP 6. Hon. George Mireku Duker, MP

7. Rev. Dr. Joyce R. Aryer

8. Hon. Dr. Mattew Opoku Prempeh, MP

9. Tetrete Okuamoah Sekyim III (Paramount Chief of Wassa Amenfi)

10. Minerals Commission

11 Pelangio Exploration Inc

12. Kessben Outreach Foundation.

13. Stanbic Bank

14. Consolidated Bank of Ghana

15. Goeson Sculpture and Construction Company

16. AngloGold Ashanti

17. Goldfields

18. Chirano Gold Mines Ltd

19. Newmont

20. Golden Star Wassa

21. Veolia Ghana Limited

22. Sandvik Mining 

23. Adamus Resources Limited

24. Milwatek Ghana

25. Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB PLC)

26. Mineral Income Investment Fund 

27. Hon. Dina Asonaha Dupaah

28. Abila Peter/NLA

29. Forestry Commission

30. Rashed Ramanu/Old Saints 1990 Year Group Sekondi

31. Women in Mining

32. NNI Support Fund

33. Enterprise Group

34. The West African Institute of Mining Metallurgy and Petroleum

35. Perseus Mining GH Lid 36. Mr. Philip Owiredu

37. Dr. Mrs. Antoinette Tsiboe Darko

38. Cal Bank Ltd

39. Mr. Sulemanu Koney

40. Rev Amoo Enc 41. PCG Presby Trinity Congregational

42. Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Ltd 43. Chamber Of Mines

44. SGS Laboratory 45. VRA

46. Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited

47. Ecobank ihana PLC

48. Maxam Ghana Limited

49. Ghana Institution of Engineers

50. Mrs. Juliet Osei Owusu

51. Prof. Patrick Agbesinyale

52. Mrs. Josephine Baddoo.

53. Staff And Management of Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources

54 Lands Commission

55. Global Media Alliance

56. Super Geona Enterprise

57. Ghana Export Promotion Authority

58. Political Zone Group 59. Accra Mining Network

60. Africa World Airlines

61. Minerals Development Fund

62. Precious Minerals Marketing Company

63. Eagles Nest Foundation

64. Trinity Baptist Church (London)

65. Genser Energy and America Chamber of Commerce

66 . DRA Ghana Limited (Member of Chamber of Mines)

67. Ghana Revenue Authority

68. Mr. Rooney Tetedze

69. Ghana Oil Company (GOIL)

70 Kwahena Boamah Acheampong (USA)

71. Future Global Resources 72 Tullow Oil

73. Asante Gold Corporation

74. Ghana Ports and Habours Authority

75. Karl Tyre 76. Ghacem

77. Zoomlion

78. Anglican Mothers Union

79. Presbyterian Church, Kuntense

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Whether donors will release the funds, meanwhile, is contingent on the government of Ghana providing counterpart funding, which has been in arrears to the tune of US$40million, under the District Development Fund (DDF).

Worse still, the DDF is expected to end this year, and the parliamentary committee on Local Government and Rural Development is worried funding challenges may arise after 2017.

The DDF is supported by a number of foreign agencies, including the Agence Francaise De Development (AFD), the Canadian Development Agency, the Danish Development Agency, the German Development Bank, as well as counterpart funding from the Government of Ghana.

It was instituted to augment what assemblies get from the District Assemblies Common Fund, based on their performance.

Addressing a plenary session on the floor of parliament, Vice Chairman of the local government committee, Kwasi Boateng Adjei, expressed worry over the heavy dependence on donor support.

“The Committee was informed that the donor support for the District Development Fund (DDF) will end in 2017 and this may negatively impact the ministry’s ability to realise its objectives after 2017. The committee is, therefore, urging the ministry to liaise with the Ministry of Finance to explore other sources of funding to support its activities.” the committee’s report noted.

Particularly worrying for the parliamentarians is the fact that counterpart funding from the government for the District Development Fund has outstanding arrear of US$40million, which is not captured in the 2017 budget to be cleared.

Government’s failure to provide for the counterpart fund implies the ministry would not be able to draw down on the donor support under the DDF.

Furthermore, the report also observed an increased allocation for compensation between 2016 and 2017; whereas the total expenditure for compensation for 2016 was Gh?14m, it went up to Gh?18m in 2017, representing an increase of Gh?3,591,328 or 25percent over the 2016 expenditure.

Meanwhile, the ministry intends to implement a number of activities this year, including providing formal training for 1,500 youth in technical and vocational education, training 450 technical instructors on TVET reforms by August 2017, completing the construction and rehabilitation of 101 feeder roads and also rehabilitating 67 small Earth Dams in rural communities under the Ghana Social Opportunities Project.

It also intends to provide inputs (fertilisers, seedings, etc) to at least 4,000 farmer groups and other actors along the agriculture value chain under the Social Investment Fund(SIF)/Integrated Rural Development Project(IRDP) and Expand the Community Population Registration Programme in 30 communities by establishing Registration Centres in 26 communities.

For the outlook for this year, the ministry told the committee members that it intends to pursue strategies aimed at resolving district boundary disputes in the country to ensure co-existence and improve revenue mobilisation by the affected MMDAs. This includes the implementation of the Benin Committee’s Report on District Boundary Disputes.

The Ministry will also seek to review relevant legislations to provide for the election of MMDCEs.

For the 2016 financial year, a total amount of Gh?228,655,075 was approved for the ministry, out of which Gh?200,758,406.72 was expended, leaving a balance of Gh?27,896,668.28.

source: b&ft