Assembly appeals for the establishment of Standard Board office

Kyebi (E/R), June 9, GNA - The East Akim District Assembly has appealed for the establishment of an office of the Ghana Standard Board (GSB) in the district to help check the tampering of cocoa weighing scales by some unscrupulous Purchasing Clerks.

The District Chief Executive, Mr Emmanuel Victor Asihene, who made the appeal in an interaction with newsmen at Kyebi on Tuesday, said the Assembly would provide office accommodation and other facilities for the operations of the Board.

Mr Asihene said a recent joint exercise by the Assembly and the GSB to check scales had paid off and expressed the hope that frequent monitoring of the situation would enable cocoa farmers to receive the appropriate payments for their produce.

He said the exercise led to the arrest and prosecution of three Purchasing Clerks who were found to have manipulated their scales. Mr Asihene explained that the exercise was not aimed at destroying the business of Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) but it was to sustain the cocoa industry, a major revenue earner for the nation. He expressed the appreciation of the Assembly to the LBCs for their service to cocoa farmers, especially in the remote parts of the country.