IOM donates to National Migration Bureau

Accra, June 10, GNA - International Organization for Migration (IOM), on Wednesday donated IT equipment, including two desktop computers, two laptops, photocopier and printer worth GH¢15,000 to the National Migration Bureau (NMB). This forms part of its capacity building initiatives to strengthen the Bureau's institutional capacity towards the Migration Profiles Project (MPP).

The donation is also to help the Bureau tackle its tasks, which include updating of the National Migration Profile and drafting a National Migration Policy to contribute towards mainstreaming migration issues into the country's national development framework.

Mr Davide Terzi, Chief of Mission, IOM, said the project was to enhance government capacities in 10 West and Central African countries, including Ghana, to effectively manage migration by preparing National Migration Profiles which could be used as a policy instrument to promote comprehensive and proactive approaches towards migration management. Mr. Terzi said one activity of the project was the National Policy Planning Workshop, which was held in April 2009, to review the National Migration Profile complied by Dr Peter Quartey of the Centre for Migration Studies, University of Ghana.

He said that inputs were made to decide on crafting a National Migration Policy out of the findings. Mr Terzi said the other one was the Regional Data Management Workshop which would be held from June 17-18 in Dakar to enable officials of the NMB and the Ghana Statistical Service. He explained that it was to enhance their capacities and enable them to update the National Migration Profile after the completion of the project in February 2010.

Mr Terzt said he was confident that the equipment would help promote efficiency to enhance data collection, data analysis and data sharing on migration issues.

Mr Kwasi Apea-Kubi, Deputy Minister of the Interior, in a speech read on his behalf, said the NMB, with the inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration, were developing a policy for the country. He said that the equipment would enhance the work of the committee and the Bureau. Mr. Apea-Kubi said it was the vision of the government to stop irregular migration and promote regular migration, adding that gestures like this would help enhance the work of the Bureau to address this vision.