HIV workplace project for revenue agencies launched

Accra, Nov. 27, GNA - An HIV/AIDS workplace project was on Monday launched for revenue agencies to reduce the level of employment related discrimination against People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The project, which also aims at reducing risk behaviour among workers, brought together participants from the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Value Added Tax (VAT) Service and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Professor Sakyi Awuku Amoa, Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), in a speech read on his behalf by Mr Kyeremeh Atuahene, Research Coordinator of GAC, said the project was targeted at over 4,000 workers since the HIV epidemic affected the productive workforce between ages 15 years and 49 years.

"The Commission has within the last three years been making serious efforts to encourage the implementation of workplace policies and programmes in public and private sector organizations," he said. Prof. Amoa said the need to ensure that HIV/AIDS became a business issue could not be underestimated because of the profound impact of the disease on workers and their families, enterprises and the economy as a whole.

He noted that it was imperative for corporate bodies to take responsibility to manage HIV/AIDS at workplaces and put in place effective workplace policies and interventions to address the effect of the epidemic.

"The revenue agencies play a major role in the management of the national economy", he said, and commended the German Technical Corporation (GTZ), the Ghana Community Network Services Limited (GCNet) for the programme.

Mr Peter Linder, German's Ambassador to Ghana, noted that the fight against HIV/AIDS has become an important aim of the German Development Cooperation worldwide and said HIV was the most single and important obstacle to socio-economic progress in Africa. He urged various governments, private institutions and non-governmental organizations to complement each other's effort in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Major Ablorh Quarcoo (rtd), Commissioner of IRS, pledged to take full responsibility in ensuring the good health of the workers. Mr Peter Minlah, VAT Commissioner, also pledged the Service's commitment in terms of financial resources to make the project a success.

Mr Emmanuel Doku, CEPS Commissioner, pledging his support for the project, and thanked the GTZ.

Mr Eric Boakye, HIV Focal Person at CEPS, encouraged the participants to go for voluntary counselling and testing, saying, "the difference between HIV and AIDS was not hopelessness but carefulness".