Chamber of Commerce bemoans flood victims

The National Executives and Staff of Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), have expressed sympathy to the families and member firms and partners of the Chamber who were affected by the flood disaster.

The Chamber said the unfortunate June 3 disaster, has resulted in the loss of property, injury and death of loved ones.

In a statement on Wednesday, it said it was regrettable that the disaster has beset the nation at a time that both the private sector and government are calling on all to place premium on made-in-Ghana products and expand businesses by increasing exports.

The GCCI expressed worry on the lackadaisical attitude on the part of both government and the citizenry towards taking a decisive decision to deal with the issue of natural disasters, particularly floods.

It said though the challenge has existed since independence and the country has suffered similar natural disasters, the Chamber believes it is time for government and the citizenry to join hands in dealing with the problem once and for all.

The Chamber said it is obvious that bad management and other factors like -poor planning, poor maintenance culture, poor supervision, chocked gutters and the imprudent issuance of permit for constructions, has contributed to the phenomenon.

It said human error emanating from careless use of open sewers cannot be ruled out and people must desist from engaging in acts that result in the blockage of the sewers.

The Chamber said the disaster would certainly affect businesses which would in turn affect the nation’s economy and the livelihood of the citizenry, because businesses may collapse and credit facilities are also likely to be dishonoured.

It called for collective efforts to find a lasting solution to the perennial flood-related disasters and urged the authorities to intensity the supervision of sites and permits for constructions.

The statement said the GCCI believes that all is not lost, but called for precaution to prevent such unfortunate disasters in future.