Potentials For Poverty Reduction
The Berekum Municipality abounds in potentials and opportunities, but there are few constraints that must be overcome to enable the Municipality increase its pace of poverty reduction

It was realized after both the Municipality level dialogue and community level dialogues that the poor in the Berekum have certain inherent potentials which need to be tapped.  It also came to light that the Municipality abounds in a lot of resources which can be utilized to alleviate the poverty status of the people.

There are appreciable and fairly distributed health facilities in the Municipality to provide the minimum health services.  There are well organised WATSANs Committees with bye-laws to operate the Water systems provided.

Among some of the inherent potentials of the poor are:

•  Contribution at forum,
• Preparedness to learn (functional skills),
• Offer of their labour for community services and facilities after proper animation.

Availability of potentials within the Municipality which can be utilized by the poor to improve their status are:

• Abundance of farm lands

•  Availability of state institutions to assist the poor – social safety nets to reduce poverty in the district, eg. Extension services to provide support to farmers, to adopt new technologies and improved seeds.  The proposed establishment of a cassava processing plant at Berekum and two (2) other proposed viable factories will help boast up production and employment.

• Fairly Good Road Networks to facilitate access to services and facilities.

    Constraints
Some of the Constraints faced by the poor in the Berekum Municipality are:

1. In ability to integrate properly in the society,
2. Stigmatization against the poor in the Society,
3. Lack of representation of the poor in governance.

The poor lacks the ability and the confidence to stand for public position in Municipality, they do not command the respect to present and be represented in decision making in the district.

1. There is a high degree of ignorance among the poor.
2. Lack of access to market for the goods produced by the poor.
3. Inadequate Micro credit facilities.
4. Unfavourable Financial Management Policies towards the poor.
5. Certain inimical government politics which inhabit the growth and development of poor eg. the cashes carry system. 

Note:
Details on the District’s Pro - Poor Report can be obtained from the DPCU Secretariat.