Security Personnel trained to combat smuggling

Yendi, Oct 6, GNA - A three- day forum to sensitize 42 security personnel in the Yendi Municipality on the Plant and Fertilizer Act of 2010 had been organized to help combat smuggling of fertilizer and other agriculture products.

The Evangelical Presbyterian Development and Relief Agency (EPDRA) in collaboration with USAID organized the programme, which ended in Yendi at the weekend.

The security personnel included the Police, the Immigration, the Customs divisions of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), and Agriculture Extension Officers, drawn from the Yendi Municipality, Chereponi, Tatale-Sangule, Saboba and Zabzugu districts.

The topics treated included ECOWAS Harmonized, Fertilizer Legal Framework, Overview of Act 803, Fertilizer Policy, Seed Policy, Plant and Fertilizer Act and Registered Fertilizer Products.

Mr Josua Nyaaba, the Acting Coordinator of EPDRA, said the forum was to sensitize the security personnel on the plant and fertilizer Act of 2010 (Act 803) to be abreast with government policies formulated in the agriculture sector.

Mr Nyaaba stated that their involvement was to enable the personnel to control illegal movements across borders, which were violation of plant and fertilizer Act 2010 (Act 803).

He said the Act was passed on June 4, 2010 and assented to by the President on September 6, 2010, and operates under the Legal and Regulatory Framework established by Government of Ghana (GOG) Act 803 of Parliament, which provides for plant protection, seeds and fertilizer control.

Mr Nyaaba said the forum would enable the personnel to control the illegal movement of plants and fertilizers across borders, and also to help generate revenue for the State.

Mr Langkuu Festus Aaron, Northern Regional Desk Officer, said the types of fertilizer in the system include Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium (NKP), Sulphate of Ammonia, Urea including others.

Mr Langkuu stated that part three on fertilizer control registration of fertilizer importers of the plant and fertilizer Act 2010 stated on the registration of importers, manufacturers and distributors, processing application, non-transferability of registration, among others.

On plant protection, he said, it provided for efficient conduct of plant protection to prevent the introduction and spread of plant pests, regulate the import and facilitate the export of plants and plat materials.

Mr Sena Letsukuma, EPDRA Manager of Chereponi urged the security personnel to use the knowledge acquired at the forum to enforce the law to ensure that fertilizer was not smuggled across borders and help to improve service delivery.

GNA