NGO Urges Government to take Environmental Impact Issues Seriously

Bolgatanga, May 26, GNA - Trade Aid Integrated, a Non-Governmental Organization in Upper East Region, working in the area of economic empowerment, has stressed the need for the government to ensure that all economic and trade related agreements have sound environmental impact mitigation plans that would be implemented to the fullest. This was contained in a press statement it issued in Bolgatanga as part of activities to mark the World Fair Trade Day commemorated in May. The Statement signed by Mr. Nicholas Apokera, the Director of the Trade Aid Integrated, explained that the theme to mark the World Fair Trade Day this year was "Big Bang", asking people to beat a drum for Climate Change, Poverty Reduction and the Economic Crisis, adding that supporting Fair Trade engenders support for the Environment, Women's Rights, Children's Rights, Cultural Dignity and Peace Building, as well as decent living.

It pointed out that the growing climate change issues in Ghana was expected to become worse in the wake of the oil discovery so the Government must attach more seriousness to issues relating to the environment. The statement also called on the Government to be wary of signing the full Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) in its current form, stressing that the EPA's current state was inimical to the local economy.

The statement indicated that Ghana required a trade regime that would take full account of the capacity of local producers and the structural difficulties they faced, saying, any rush by the Ghana Government to sign the full EPA would only address the interest of a few whilst majority of small scale farmers and producers wallow in abject poverty. The statement cautioned Government not to underestimate the potential effects of the global crisis to the Ghanaian Economy, adding that, "We are witnesses to a drastic fall in our foreign remittances at least for the first quarter of 2009." It stated that the trend was likely to continue and in addition there would be drastic reduction in the demand for Ghanaian goods abroad which would subsequently lead to reduction of foreign exchange earnings from exports whilst at the same time create unemployment locally since most exporting companies may lay off workers. The statement emphasized the need for Government to be proactive in coming out with counter measures to address these challenges.