The visit was to understand what the new Minister and Ministry’s priorities are and to align the group’s support with the priorities that are identified. Mr Kerali said the World Bank was already supporting the Ghana Social Opportunities Project (GSOP) under the Local Government Ministry, which has been performing very well.

He challenged the World Bank Team in the country to think of ways of going beyond what they had been doing. Mr Kerali said the World Bank Group was doing a lot in terms of livelihood support, adding that, the group had financed about 214 dams which employed 160,000 people of which 60 per cent were women which was very much in line with the Government one village one dam project.

He said the World Bank Group wanted to go beyond the number but urged that the maintenance of the dams was very important in the pursuance of increasing the productivity of farmers. Mr Kerali said the World Bank Group was looking for policies that were applicable for government to support in all sectors.

Hajia Mahama pledged Government’s commitment to work with the World Bank Group to better the lives of the citizenry in all sectors.  She requested the group’s support for the country’s Rural Development Policy to develop a framework which was inter-sectorial under the Local Government Ministry.

Hajia Mahama said the issue of the maintenance of the dams raised by the World Bank Group would be seriously taken into consideration.  She requested for a re-development of another policy project which will boost the Government’s one village one dam project.