Developmental Issues

Summary Of Key Development Issues Emanating From The Situational Analysis Of The District
Acceralated Agriculture Modernisation And Agro Based Industrial Development 

Agriculture

• Limited access to credit facilities
• Frequent land disputes
• Environmental degradation caused by human activities on farmlands.
• Inadequate agriculture extension services
• Low level of agriculture technology-resulting in low input.
• Poor marketing networks and facilities(storage) resulting in unstable prices
• Aged farmers
• Shortage and high cost of labour and other farm inputs
• Prevalence of pests and diseases
• Lack of permanent office and residential accommodation for District Directorate of Agriculture
• Inadequate logistics for the District Directorate

Expanded Development Of Production Infrastructre
Roads/Transportation

• poor nature of feeder roads especially to cocoa producing areas
• Broken down culverts in some feeder roads.
• Broken down culverts/lack of culverts on some feeder roads
• Poor state of Akyem Swedru township roads

WATER 

• Low potable water coverage in the district
• Poor management of water facilities by communities/WATSANC
• Inadequate logistics for DWST

ENERGY

• Unreliable electricity supply
• Inadequate extension of electricity to newly developed areas and growing Communities
• Inadequate supply of (LPG) Gas (Limited number of distribution points)

DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCE FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
EDUCATION

• Inadequate classroom blocks in some schools
• Inadequate/lack of furniture in some schools
• Dilapidated nature of some school blocks (poor school infrastructure)
• Inadequate teachers in schools
• Lack of teachers’ accommodation in deprived areas
• Lack/inadequate institutional latrines in schools
• Lack of community commitment towards teachers
• Inadequate supply of text books for schools
• Poor academic performance at the BECE level
• Poor hostel facilities for some senior high schools
• Lack of permanent office and residential accommodation for the District Directorate of GES

HEALTH

• Inadequate health personnel (nurses)
• Lack of permanent Office and Residential accommodation for health staff
• Dwindling, irregular cash inflow
• Inadequate, over age and broken motor bikes
• High incidence of HIV/AIDS/Malaria and TB cases
• Low level of behavoural change among the sexually active group
• Inadequate resources (means of transport)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 

• Limited ICT facilities e.g. internet services

ENVIRONMENT (BUILT AND NATURAL)

• Inadequate refuse containers and waste bins
• High environmental degradation/pollution causes by human activities.
• High incidence of flooding and erosion due to poor drainage system wind/rainstorm in certain parts of the district due to poor
• Unplanned and haphazard physical development 
• Inadequate sanitary tools and lack of Septic Emptier
• Inadequate human and material resources to manage waste in the district.
• Inadequate public latrines

EMPLOYMENT

• High level of unemployment among the youth
• Lack of facilities for skill development.

VULNERABLE AND THE EXCLUDED

• Lack of comprehensive data on the vulnerable in the society
• Slow pace of integrating people with disabilities into the main-stream of development.
• Inadequate support for children in conflict with the law
• Unsatisfactory operations of some Day Care Centre in the district
• Inadequate support for PLWHA’s and OVC (orphanage and vulnerable children)/ care givers.

TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANACE 

• Lack of permanent office and residential accommodation for District Assembly Staff and other heads of decentralized departments
• Inactive Assembly substructures
• Low revenue generation by the Assembly (IGF)
• Poor market and public facilities
• Low publication on rates payment
• Non-enforcement of bye-laws
• Inadequate logistics, such as Wallington boot, rain coat, vehicle or Transport facilities, computers for the rate collection.
• Political interference in the implementation of laws and regulations
• Inadequate capacity building programmes for Staff of the district    assembly and decentralized departments.
• Inadequate facilities and equipments e.g. computers, photocopiers (DA, Decentralized departments)    .
• Low level of public education on government polices
• Low communal/spirit in some communities
• Frequent chieftaincy disputes
• Limited number of women in decision making positions in District Assembly/Area/Urban/Town Council.

REDUCING POVERTY AND INCOME INEQUALITIES
EMPLOYMENT

• High level of unemployment among the youth
• Lack of facilities for skill development.

SUSTAINABLE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN GOVERNMANT AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR
TRADE/COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

• Congestion at Swedru main market on market days
• Lack of lorry park at Swedru
• Lack/inadequate market sheds and stores in some communities
• Limited access to credit facilities for groups and small scale enterprises
• Lack/inadequate food processing machines i.e. oil palm cassava, citrus etc.
  
  • District Development Priorities

  The development priorities for the planned period (20010-2013) are a reflection of the development aspirations of the people emanating from community and district dialogues, findings from the spatial indicators of poverty based on the poverty profile and maps are classified under the seven thematic areas of the Medium Term Development as follows:
  
  Agriculture
  
  

  • Skill training for farmers on modern farming techniques
  • Provision of modern farming equipment.

  
  Industry Trade and commence
  
  

  • Development of light industrial site
  • Provision of credit facilities to small scale industries
  • Construction/rehabilitation of markets

  
  Roads and Transport
  
  

  • Installation of traffic lights in Oda
  • Construction of culvert on foot bridges
  • Extension of Oda Lorry Park to decongest the central business area

  
  Energy
  
  

  • Extension of electricity to newly develop areas in Oda and other communities
  • Encourage the private sector to increase LPG distribution points

  
  Employment
  
  

  • Creation of job opportunities and skills training for the youth

  
  Tourism
  
  

  • Promote tourism development in the district

  
  Science and Technology
  
  

  • Establish ICT facility e.g. internet services

  
  Human Resource Development
  
  Education
  
  

  • Increase enrollment in basic schools
  • Reduce drop-out rate in basic schools
  • Improve academic performance in basic schools
  • Improve school infrastructure
  • Provide toilet facilities in schools
  • Provide teacher accommodation
  • Increase the number of trained teachers as against untrained teachers
  • Promote sports development in schools

  
  Health
  
  

  • Improve malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS control and prevention through case management, IEC and research
  • Provide additional health centres and staff accommodation to needy communities
  • Extent electricity and water to needy health facilities (Akenkansu and Manso)
  • Provide staff and equipments for health facilities
  • Establish sponsorship scheme for nursing trainees to augment the staff strength in the health sector
  • Intensify disease control and surveillance
  • Foster closer collaboration between the health sector and other stake holders

  
  Water
  
  

  • Increase potable water coverage in the district

  
  Environment
  
  

  • Encourage a forestation of degraded forest and off reserve areas
  • Enforce relevant environmental bye laws to protect the environment at all levels
  • Facilitate urban development and slam upgrading
  • Enforce compliance with Town layouts.

  
  Sanitation

  • Promote the construction of household VIP latrines
  • Rehabilitate and construct public toilet
  • Improve waste management in the district

  
  Vulnerable and the Excluded
  
  

  • Empower the vulnerable and the excluded in the district through skill training and investment support

  
  Good Governance and Civic Responsibility
  
  

  • Established an MIS office
  • Connect the Assembly to internet and creation of a website
  • Build the capacity of Assembly staff, members and head of departments
  • Equip all areas/town/urban council with office, logistics and staf
  • Improved the revenue collection system of the Assembly
  • Strengthen the motoring system and evaluation of the Assembly
  • Provide decent accommodation for Assembly and decentralized staff
  • Construct new DCE bungalow
  • Construct ultra-modern tennis court and Children Park for the district
  • Contract permanent accommodation for Akroso Police post.