Forestry Commission cedes CRNR to KNUST

Akyawkrom, (Ash), April 17, GNA-Mr. A.S.K. Boachie-Dapaah, Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission (FC), has stated that the decision by the Commission to cede the College of Renewable Natural Resources (CRNR) to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) was prudent and understandable.

The Chief Executive explained that the move was not only understandable but also a reasonable one because of the financial losses being incurred by the college.

Mr. Boachie-Dapaah made the statement in an address read for him at the annual general meeting of the Forestry Senior Staff Association (FOSSA), at Akyawkrom in the Ejisu-Juabeng District at the weekend. He disclosed that in 2003, a whooping 2.1 billion cedis was spent on the college, and in return, only 178 million cedis revenue was generated from the college.

Mr. Boachie-Dapaah stressed, "These figures demonstrate that the indefinite running of the CRNR by the FC is not sustainable and cannot be justified any longer."

He said it was as a result of such an unhealthy development that they deemed it financially prudent to divest the college to the KNUST, so that financial resources could be freed to support other key areas, including payment of staff benefits, which has become a huge problem. Mr. Boachi-Dapaah however, gave the assurance that the KNUST, in a memorandum of understanding, had given the commitment to continue to train middle level personnel for the forestry sector.