Volta Lake Transport to purchase oil barges from BOST

THE Volta Lake Transport Company (VLTC) has initiated moves to purchase idle oil barges, a push boat and a floating dry-dock from the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST) which has been lying idle at the cost of $35million.

The procurement and operation of those machines are expected to facilitate easy transportation on the Volta Lake, generate enough revenue for the company and wean it from government subvention.

The Managing Director of the VLTC, Mr Martin Hiles, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic, said currently there was a tussle between the VLTC and the BOST over the figure quoted. 

He added that while the former thought the cost of the machines should be less than what had been quoted, the latter was of the view that it was the right value.

As a result, he said, an independent valuation of the fleet was to be conducted to determine the actual value.

A barge is a flat-bottomed boat without engines built mainly for the purposes of river and canal transport of heavy goods, including liquid cargo.

VLTC is mandated to provide ferry services on the Volta Lake at economical costs.

Due to its low charges, the company has been in dire straits in recent times.

The company’s only means of revenue generation currently is the transportation of petroleum products for the government. Part of the revenue generated, however, is used to subsidise ferry services­ to the public.

The machines being sought for by the VLTC have remained unused by the BOST for the past seven years, and the management of the VLTC believes procuring them would improve general transportation along the lake and raise additional revenue for the government.

Mr Hiles said officials of the Ministry of Energy were trying to bring the VLTC and the BOST on to the same wave length on the issue of the cost of the machines.

According to Mr Hiles, a transfer of ownership of the BOST fleet would help resuscitate VLTC, which he said, was handicapped at the moment, resulting from the deteriorated nature of its fleets, resulting from long periods of lack of fuel transportation.

He discounted suggestions that the company was not capable of serving the nation’s needs, saying the VLTC had the ability to do so.

He said the BOST had consistently resorted to transporting petroleum products to the northern part of the country using road transport due to the latter’s inability to repair and operate the pipelines between Tema and Akosombo for the past three years.

That, he said, had led to a string of fuel shortages in the northern part of the country.

A Deputy Minister of Energy in charge of Petroleum, Mr Kofi Armah Buah, confirmed to the Daily Graphic that officials were working to ensure that an agreement was reached between the two parties, adding that, “we believe the VLTC must have a strong financial backing to sustain its operations.”

The Managing Director of BOST, Dr Yaw Akoto, would, however, not comment on the issue, which he described as sensitive, when contacted by the Daily Graphic.

There is a general concern that a pipeline built for the  transportation of fuel products from Buipe in the Northern Region to Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region under a South Korea Government sponsorship in 2005 and 2006 remained unused, leading to the use of road transport to move fuel products to the north of Ghana and Burkina Faso.

This leads to rapid deterioration of roads and risks to road users.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Thur June 28, 2012

Partnership, effective coordination: key to NTDs

THE World Health Organization (WHO) has lauded the financial commitments of national governments across the African region to address the impact on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

The who Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, made the commendation in a speech read on his behalf by the Ghana Representative, Dr Idrissa Sow, at a three-day regional consultative forum to identify measures that would scale up interventions to control or eliminate NTDs in the Africa Region.

“Genuine partnership and effective coordination of initiatives and actions are key to improving the efficiency and effectiveness for the control and elimination of these poverty-related diseases,” he said.

Dr Sumbo also called for transparency in programme management and information sharing among member countries.

The Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. John Gyapong, who chaired the programme, called for the development of national plans and better coordination among partners towards the common goal of the elimination of NTDs.

Earlier in his welcome address, the acting Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Frank Nyonator , was of the opinion that the workshop would mark a turning point where NTDs would be placed on the same level of priority as other public health programmes.

That, he said would allow public health policy makers and development partners to devote equal attention for NTDs.

The Chairman of the WHO Committees on Onchocerciasis, Tropical Diseases and Mosquitoes, Professor David Molyneux, who opened the programme, indicated that NTDs have accounted for an estimated 534,000  global deaths annually.

“In many communities, mothers and children are infected with soil transmitted helminthiasis, anaemia and other complications as the disease progress,” he said.

He challenged endemic countries to ensure ownership of the programmes by committing themselves to the accelerating intervention measures being put in place.

The WHO, he said was committed to supporting the country’s coordination mechanisms and expressed the hope that the massive support being rendered by stakeholders would yield results.

The Minister of Health, Mr Alban Bagbin, bemoaned the lack of capacity development, research on drugs and lack of coordination within the endemic countries.

That, he said was informed by many leaders describing the NTDs as a symptom of poverty, deprivation and being disadvantaged.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Wed June 27, 2012

Govt commits GH¢1.8million to control NTDs

THE Government has committed GH¢1.8 million as its contribution to the prevention and control of endemic Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) across the country.

That according to the Health Minister, Mr Alban Bagbin, was meant to ensure the total eradication of other equally worrying diseases, which tended to affect mostly the rural poor.

“Much as we have made gains in the eradication of guinea worm and the elimination of trachoma, there is the need to improve on and extend coverage of the control and elimination activities,” Mr Bagbin said.

He was speaking at the opening of a three-day African regional consultative forum on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Accra.

Over 100 experts,policy makers and heath leaders who are attending the session would discuss ways of scaling up interventions to control or eliminate NTDs in the Africa Region of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Representatives of endemic countries, donor agencies, pharmaceutical firms, the WHO and other partners attending the forum would, at the end of the session, agree to, among other things, on coordination mechanisms at the national and regional levels for NTDs programme implementation.

The forum would inaugurate an NTDs Advisory group at the end of the three day session.

NTDs are a group of tropical infections which are especially endemic in low-income populations in developing regions of Africa, Asia and the Americas.

Snail fever, also known as schistosomiasis, Elephantiasis (Lymphatic filariasis), Trachoma, River blindness,  (onchocerciasis) and Buruli ulcer have all been identified as NTDs.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the impact of these diseases as a group is comparable to malaria and tuberculosis.

The minister indicated that a phenomenal increase in advocacy and awareness on NTDs with improved support for disease control programmes had seen Ghana on the verge of eradicating Guinea Worm and Trachoma.

“We are at the post elimination surveillance phase for four districts that are endemic for lymphatic filariasis”, he said, adding that officials were aware of the successful elimination efforts of onchocerciasis in other countries of the WHO African region.

Mr Bagbin, however, bemoaned the lack of capacity development, research on drugs and lack of coordination within the endemic countries, following many leaders description of the NTDs as a symptom of poverty, deprivation and disadvantaged.

While lauding the WHO for announcing former President John Kuffour as a global ambassador and advocate for NTDs, he expressed the hope that the inauguration of the Technical Advisory Group would help scale up monitoring  and preventive chemotherapy.

The Chairman of the WHO Committees on Onchocerciasis, Tropical Diseases and Mosquitoes, Professor David Molyneux, who delivered the technical keynote address, observed that although NTDs affected some one billion people worldwide, a fraction of six per cent of resource allocation was the only dedication to the fight.

“Some 680 million people received treatment for NTDs in 2011 alone, and that should, therefore, serve as a wake-up call for donor partners, public taxpayers, non governmental organisations, as well as national governments to assume full responsibilities for sufferers,” Prof Molyneuxe said.

The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, in a speech read on his behalf by Ghana’s  Representative, Dr Idrissa Sow, commended the financial  commitments on the part of national governments across the region.

“Genuine partnership and effective coordination of initiatives and actions are key to improving the efficiency and effectiveness for the control and elimination of these poverty-related diseases,” he said.

Dr Sumbo also called for transparency in programme management and information sharing among member countries.

The Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. John Gyapong, who chaired the programme, called for the development of national plans and better coordination  among partners towards the common goal of the elimination of NTDs.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Tue June 26, 2012

Workshop on speedy clearance of goods at ports held

A ONE-Day education and sensitisation workshop on documentation has been held  for customs agents, brokers and freight forwarders, with a call on officials to promptly issue final clarification and verification for clearing goods at the country’s ports.

The programme, put together by the Destination Inspection Companies (DICs), was aimed at improving the capacity of stakeholder bodies, particularly freight forwarders, in the area of clearance process and requirement for documentation.

According to the Corporate Affairs Manager of the Gateway Services Limited (GSL), Ms Ama Addo, the submission of correct documents was important as it helped customs house agents to go through scanning of consignments raising minimum or no queries at all, thereby reducing the length of clearance processes at the ports.

GSL also used the forum to seek the views of importers for the necessary feedback to serve them better.

While importers have blamed delays in the issuance of final clarification and verification reports on DICs, such delays, she said, were often occasioned by the provision of inaccurate data on documentation by agents.

“Ghana’s membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) introduced destination inspection of goods and cargo in 2000 in response to the gateway programme.

This has necessitated the need for customs compliance and modernisation, as well as revenue enhancement and improved security for cargo handling and port management,” Ms Addo said.

She said the destination inspection scheme was designed to reduce clearance time at the entry points, physical examination of  goods and opportunities for fraud.

“Statistics have showed that the introduction of the system has drastically reduced physical examination of goods to 35 and 45 per cent  respectively, with trade volume also seeing a significant increase,” she said.

While lauding the government’s effort at supporting the DICs to increase revenue generation , Ms Addo expressed the hope that the training would improve the capacity of officials and also reduce incidents of under-invoicing and the attendant socio-economic evils.

Participants at the programme called for periodic stakeholder education and also charged the GSL to make use of the positive suggestions from importers and agents.

The Operations Manager of Inspection and Control Services, Mr Dickson Addah, also charged freight forwarders to scale up their activities as they made strides to consolidate gains in the sector.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Mon June 18, 2012

Engineers need licence, certification to practise

 Mr Ashigbey (right), welcoming Prof Ampadu to his office

ENGINEERS will now be licensed and certified before they can practise.

This follows the passage of the Engineering Council Bill to replace the existing NRC Decree 145 of 1973.

The President of the Ghana Institution of Engineers (GIE), Professor Samuel I. K. Ampadu, who made this known, said the new act would help regulate the engineering profession and practice in the country.

Speaking during a courtesy call on the Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Ken Ashigbey, last Wednesday, Prof Ampadu said the act would allow council to oversee and regulate the practice of the engineering profession in Ghana.

The President of the GIE, who is also the Provost of the College of Engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), indicated that the institution was reorganising itself to ensure its contribution to the country’s development.

He was accompanied by six members of the GIE — the Executive Secretary, Ing Joseph Buckson; the Vice-President, Ing Magnus Quarshie Quarshie, and the new President-elect, Ing Ben Aniagyei.

Others were the Chairman of Public and International Affairs of the institution, Ing Theophilus Okai, and the immediate past President, Ing Albert Ogyiri.

Prof Ampadu said officials of the GIE were also putting in place two key projects meant to dissuade negative public perception of engineers in general.

“We have come to realise that public interaction only occurs in situations of engineering failure, which gives the public divided opinion about the engineer’s competence,” he said.

In that light, he said, the institution had outlined a project aimed at demystifying engineering by bringing it closer to the public.

Mr Ashigbey, who expressed delight at the passage of a law to regulate engineering practice, indicated that development must not only focus on commerce and industry.

“The evolving nature of technology has made engineering a prerequisite tool which needs to be properly streamlined for development purposes,” he said.

He also called for a peer review of designs by the institution as a way of encouraging institutional growth and individual capacity building.

“I believe peer review among ourselves will reduce bad design defects,” he said.

Mr Ashigbey charged the institution to collaborate with tertiary institutions offering programmes in engineering to ensure a redevelopment of curricula  in line with modern trends in engineering.

He also called for appropriate mentorship programmes for young graduates for them to become shareholders of the country’s engineering set-ups.

Present at the meeting was the GCGL’s General Manager in charge of Technical Services, Mr Kwesi Adjei Kersi.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Tue  June 12, 2012

World Bank approves $90 million grant for Abidjan-Lagos project

THE World Bank has approved a $90 million grant to finance the Abidjan-Lagos Trade Facilitation Project aimed at reducing trade and transportation barriers within the ECOWAS sub-region.

The project, which is the second phase of a regional programme in Ghana, Togo and Benin, would finance trade and transport facilitation activities along the 130 kilometre coastal corridor to Cote d’Ivoire.

The Abidjan-Lagos Corridor links the large and economical cities of Lagos, Accra and Abidjan. 

The completion would, therefore, assist trade expansion in the import and export sector, as well as the local economies of beneficiary countries.

The Minister of Trade, Ms Hanna Tetteh, disclosed this at the launch of the 2011 Non Traditional Export (NTE) performance statistics in Accra yesterday.

The event was also used to launched the 2011 National Export awards.

Total  NTE revenue in 2011 stood at $2.4 billion, a 33 per cent increase from $1.8 billion in 2010, exceeding the 25 per cent target for the period under review.

Total earnings in the sector were from three main sub-sectors, namely agriculture, processed and semi-processed foods and handicrafts.

Ms Tetteh indicated that the trade facilitation project would greatly influence Ghana’s quest to attain the $5 billion by 2015, by ensuring accessible export markets for its NTEs in the beneficiary countries.

She, however, lamented the non completion of negotiations under the ECOWAS Protocols, particularly the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS).

“It is in this light that Ghana has signed the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (IEPA), as a fall-back, in the event that ECOWAS fails to reach a consensus within the stipulated time-frame,” Ms Tetteh said.

While denying reports that the government was in the process of signing the EPA, Ms Tetteh said she was highly optimistic that the best option for Ghana and other West African countries was an ECOWAS EPA consensus, which she said would facilitate trade with the EU.

While commending the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) for making strides towards the realisation of the NTE target, Ms Tetteh announced that the Ministry was in the process of implementing a rural enterprise programme (REP), with the development of micro and small businesses across deprived district assemblies nationwide.

Under the REP programme, business advisory centres would be set up as a unit for the ministry in the promotion of trade and industry across board.

She charged GEPA officials to develop a national logistic strategy to allow traceability of products from the manufacturing point to retail units.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GEPA, Dr Kwadwo Owusu Agyemang, for his part said that although the country continued to export more products in their raw form, greater emphasis had been placed on increased research, with the set up of Ghana Trade Centres along the authority’s trade routes across the sub-region.

Dr Owusu Agyemang commended the Export Development and Agriculture Investment Fund (EDIF) for aiding the authority in sustaining the macro-development gains, and also appealed to government to set aside a percentage of the oil revenue for trade promotion purposes.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic,  Mon June 11, 2012

Mop Exercise was successful, EC

An EC official taking electorate through the process in Tema

THE Electoral Commission (EC) has described the two-day limited biometric voters registration mop up as generally successful, useful and peaceful.

The exercise, which took place in eight out of the 10 regions last Saturday and Sunday, was meant to enable eligible voters who could not participate in the main exercise for various legitimate reasons to do so.

The 187 mop-up centres were scattered in the Western, Greater Accra, Volta, Eastern, Ashanti, Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic, a Principal Public Relations Director at the EC, Mrs Sylvia Anno, said the commission would add information on those captured in the two-day exercise to the data captured during the 40-day national exercise.

She also hinted that some of the district registration review committees had completed their work, while others were in the final stages, writes Donald Ato Dapatem.

According to Mrs Anno, those who were cleared as being eligible to register would be given their voters identity cards and their names kept in the national register, while those who could not pass the test would have their names deleted from the national roll and their cards seized.

She added that the EC was on course to produce a complete new voters roll and gave an assurance that the provisional register would be displayed in August for voters to cross-check their names and other details.

The EC, she said, was also at the moment hearing challenge cases against some prospective voters whose right to register and vote had been questioned by political party agents.

The mop-up exercise in the Greater Accra Region took place at Okaikoi in the Accra metropolis and Shai Osudoku in the Dangme West District, reports Della Russel Ocloo.

Fourteen centres across Tema East, Tema West and Kpone Katamanso, al in the Tema metropolis, also took turns to register eligible voters.

At the Klagon TMA Primary School, a malfunctioning equipment delayed the conduct of the exercise for about two hours.

The registration officer, Mr Matthew Oppong, told the Daily Graphic that the few persons who thronged the centre were, therefore, made to wait for some time until the equipment was repaired.

The Tema Metropolitan Director of the EC, Mr Gabriel Manu, who commended the smooth conduct of the exercise, said although official figures on the number of people captured were yet to be compiled, an estimated 2,000 people were registered in the two-day exercise within the designated centres in the Tema area.

From Tamale, Vincent Amenuveve reports that the mop-up exercise ended smoothly on Sunday at all the 48 registration centres in the Northern Region.

According to the Northern Regional Director of the EC, Mr Sylvester Kanyi, the exercise was expected to register more people and increase the number of eligible voters in the region.

He explained that initially 55 centres were designated for the exercise.

The centres, he said, were those that could not work for six days or more during the first four phases of the BVR between March 24 and May 5, this year.

From Kumasi, Kwame Asare Boadu reports that  the voters registration mop-up exercise in Kumasi went on peacefully, with officials describing the response as good for an exercise of such nature.

Bantama, Subin, Kwadaso and Manhyia were the four designated centres within the metropolis where the exercise took place.

At the Subin Centre located at the Kumasi Polytechnic, 77 people had registered as of 1.30 p.m. on Sunday, while 40 people had been registered at the Kwadaso Centre as of press time on Sunday.

Quite significantly, the registration was carried out in an atmosphere of peace, a far departure from what happened during the main exercise.

The Ashanti Regional Director of the EC, Mr Samuel Tettey, told the Daily Graphic that his outfit had received “good” reports from other centres across the region.

While expressing satisfaction with the response, he was also impressed by the general comportment of political parties and their followers during the exercise.

 “This is an exercise that is not supposed to register large numbers but at least we can all say we have achieved the purpose, as some people might have been disenfranchised had it not been the mop up,” he said.

Rose Hayford Darko reports from Tema Newtown that many people were not aware of the exercise due to low publicity.

It was when they saw the equipment and officials at the centres that news went round that a mop-up exercise was going on.  

At the Shining School Centre at Tema Newtown, 23 people had registered as of 9.30 a.m., while seven had registered at the Rahmaniya Centre, also at Tema Newtown, as of the same time.

Eleven people had registered at the Fantoms School Centre in Tema West about 11 a.m., while 23 had registered at the Chief Bello Islamic School Centre at Zeenu at the same time.

There were no equipment breakdowns and queues as the registration officers waited for people to trickle in to register.

Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu reports from Sekondi/Takoradi that only 48 centres were considered by the EC for the mop-up exercise in the Western Region.

By the end of the Saturday session, some centres had registered about 100 people, while others had registered between 20 and 25 eligible voters.

The exercise took place in Nzema East, Ahanta West, Tarkwa, Prestea-Huni Valley, Jomoro, Ellembele, Amenfi East, Amenfi West and Amenfi Central.

The rest are Aowin-Suaman, Bibiani-Anwiaso-Bekwai, Mpohor-Wassa East, Juaboso and Bia.

The Western Regional Director of the EC, Mr Steven Opoku Manu, said the process was very orderly and very encouraging, as those who presented themselves went through the process without any difficulties.

Victor Kwawukume reports from Ho  that the Akatsi District was the only district in the Volta Region where the mop-up exercise took place, centres in the district having recorded major challenges during the main exercise.

The Volta Regional Director of the EC,  Madam Laurentia Kpatakpa, told the Daily Graphic that five registration centres in the district had experienced continuous breakdown of equipment during the main exercise.

She said in spite of that, people had found their way to other centres to register, adding that it was only fair to the people of the area that a mop-up exercise was held there.

Madam Kpatakpa said the mop up had gone on peacefully and not registered any problems, either with equipment or officials.

SOURCE: Daily Graphic, Mon June, 2012

Transforming Ghana’s national parks into true tourism destinations

One of such national parks in Nairobi

FORESTS play a crucial role in preserving water systems, preventing soil erosion and providing a habitat for wildlife.

Thus, forest preservation in Kenya, according to reports, have helped to make tourism one of the country’s biggest earners, with some $65 million in benefits from reserves alone in 2010.

Research by the Kenya Forest Research Institute (KEFRI) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), estimates the economic benefit of the forest to be more than $1.3 billion per year.

Aware of the enormous potentials of its reserves and its attractive nature, the Kenyan government had over the years committed resources into its development.

Presently, the tourism industry in Kenya is said to be the second largest source of foreign exchange revenue with 19 national parks and game reserves spearheading revenue generation processes.

For instance, a visit to the Nairobi Safari Park attracts a $20 entry fee for adult tourists, while children below 16 years are charged  $10 each with a daily visitor population standing at about 127-130 on average and 300 -500 during peak periods.

Unlike Ghana, where illegal logging of wood for fuel energy remain dominant regardless of regulations restricting such practices, the East African country has in place stringent regulations that stipulates terms of imprisonment for offenders.

According to a Ghanaian resident in Nairobi, Mr John Tampalene, the people of Kenya worship trees, and that has hugely contributed to the serene climate conditions in the country.

Ghana’s Forestry Commission (FC), which is responsible for the regulation of utilisation of forest and wildlife resources, have persistently failed in its approach to reserve conservation.

The lack of political will on the part of policy makers and disregard for regulations by the general society have led to the devastating effects of climate change, particularly on agriculture in the country.

Thus, in spite  of the vast natural resources at our disposal, Ghana has now become a major importer of food and meat products from Europe and Asia.

Not only had the country’s agricultural output fallen drastically, farmers also face challenges of less incentives to produce due to the general deterioration of the sector.

While Ghana is said to have seven national parks and reserves, according to information, little has been heard of their existence.

These are the Mole National Park, Kyabobo National Park, Kakum National Park & Assin Attandanso Resource Reserve, Digya National Park,  Bui National Park, Bia National Park & Resource reserve / biosphere reserve.

With Kakum and Mole National being the most visible, little had been done to promote the potential of the others, which hitherto could have improved domestic tourism revenue for the development needs of the communities in which they are located.

In spite of Kenya’s disputed presidential election in 2007 and its aftermath that plummeted tourism revenues from 54 per cent in the first quarter of 2008, the country won the best leisure destination award at the World Travel Fair in Shanghai, China, in April 2008.

That recognition has since seen a marginal increase by enhancing the country’s profile as a leading tourist destination in East Africa and beyond.

The feat could equally be chalked by Ghana, if managers and stakeholder bodies utilise available opportunities to scale up the sector’s marketability.

Ultimately, the work of conservation cannot succeed without the participation of various stakeholders.

Therefore, the Forestry Commission, Ministry of Tourism and all other bodies ought to work closely with local communities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and relevant government bodies to ensure not just the planting of new forests, but protection and promotion of  existing facilities.    

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, June 12, 2012

Govt announces new fertiliser susbsidy for farmers

Kwesi Ahwoi

THE Government has announced a 43 per cent subsidy on fertiliser for farmers under its 2012 fertiliser subsidy programme.

In the same vein, improved seeds have also been subsidised by an average of 37 per cent.

According to the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Akwasi Ahwoi, the government also aims to subsidise 176,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser at the total cost of GH¢120 million and 151,000 metric tonnes certified seed at a cost of GH¢4.8 million.

In effect, a 50-kilogramme bag of fertiliser will sell at a compound price of GH¢50, while maize, rice and soyabean seeds will also go at GH¢45 and GH¢35 respectively. Mr Ahwoi announced this at a press conference in Accra yesterday.

“A total of GH¢120 million has, therefore, accrued to the government, thus making it pay about 52 per cent and above the GH¢78 million paid in 2011, resulting from increase in world market prices of fertiliser”, Mr Ahwoi said.

The abov, he said, pointed to the government’s readiness to sustain the subsidy regime aimed at increasing agricultural productivity and ensuring food security.

He,however expressed disappointment at the increasd spate of smuggling of agricultural inputs in Bawku in the Upper East Region, Jomoro in the Western Region as well as other border post communities. 

The minister also cautioned against the sale of the subsidised inputs at unapproved prices and called on the general public to report such individuals and organizations to the ministry.


He also tasked regional ministers and district, municipal and metropolitan chief executives to assist in monitoring the sales and distribution of the inputs in their jurisdiction to avoid abuse.

Mr Ahwoi also announced the introduction of farmer passbook to enable farmers document their farm operations to assist in tracking the beneficiaries of the subsidy programme.

While calling on farmers to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the programme to enhance their productivity, Mr Ahwoi also charged the security agencies to protect the tax payer by enforcing stringent measures against people who might be tempted to smuggle the subsidised inputs.

A representative of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana and the President of the Seed Growers Association, Osofo Patrick Apullah, who welcomed the new development urged the government to address the delay in the distribution system to  improve the programme.

The fertiliser subsidy programme was instituted by the government in 2008 to help farmers increase fertiliser application in order to increase crop production.

It is aimed at increasing the country's fertiliser application rate to at least 50 kilogrammes per hectare as recommended in the Medium Term Agricultural Sector Investment Programme by the ministry.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Fri June 7, 2012