Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, Eastern Regional Minister, on Wednesday expressed worry about the inability of some district assemblies to make readily available their counterpart funds thus leading to the stalling of projects.
He therefore urged the assemblies to ensure that counterpart funds for any donor intervention was set aside and should be untouchable.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said this during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Plan Ghana and the Upper Manya Krobo District Assembly in Koforidua.
He commended Plan Ghana for spending a total of $650,000 on social interventions annually in the district and appealed to the NGO to spread its tentacles to cover as many districts in the region as possible.
Mr Samuel Paulos, Country Director, Plan Ghana, said the organization had been working in the area over the past 15 years where it focused extensively on infrastructural development, education, health, water and sanitation,
microfinance and child rights promotion.
He said those interventions contributed towards remarkable achievement in human resource indicators such as high literacy rates, reduced infant mortality and morbidity, low maternal mortality and increased reduction in mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
Mr Paulos said notwithstanding those interventions the signing of the MOU with the assembly no doubt underscored the determination of the two partners to forge a stronger partnership.
Mr Joseph Tetteh Angmor, Upper Manya Krobo District Chief Executive, said not only had Plan Ghana put up structures in the areas of health and education but also ensured the growth and well-being of children in the area through its enormous support for the District Heath Management Teams during national immunization programmes.
Plan also gives support to Ghana Health Service to undertake outreach programmes in the district including training of Community Health
Volunteers, Awareness creation in Family Planning, Sexually Transmitted Infections, HIV and AIDS and Adolescence Reproductive Health.
Mr Angmor assured the organization that the assembly would diligently and readily execute its responsibilities as spelt out in the MOU.
He said the assembly out of its meagre resources would endeavour to play its part in bringing development and satisfaction to its people.