Don't manufacture small arms-Garages official

Sunyani, July 16, GNA - Mr. George Baafi Mensah, Chairman of Sunyani Municipal branch of Ghana National Association of Garages has warned against the manufacturing of improvised arms in the various garages.

He cautioned that the manufacturing of such locally made arms "is a threat to the current democratic dispensation in the country and the law will deal harshly with perpetrators when caught".

Mr. Mensah was speaking at the launch of the Municipal Garages and Business Advocacy Challenge Fund project, under the theme, "Neglect of the informal auto-mechanic - breaking the silence", in Sunyani. He stressed that the manufacturing of small arms had fuelled the incidence of unnecessary tribal conflicts, which set back the country's progress.

The Municipal Chairman appealed for severe punitive measures to be meted out to perpetrators to serve as a deserving deterrent to others.

Mr. Michael Mensah, Executive Secretary of the Centre for Empowerment of the Vulnerable, an NGO, explained that the project, funded by DANIDA, Danish NGO, was aimed at carrying out advocacy actions to remove bottlenecks affecting businesses.

He said 184 million cedis would be made available to the Association to carry out advocacy actions, targeting motor companies, government agencies and other stakeholders.

"This will enable these stakeholders to provide training and technical support to help garages to become abreast with the latest technology in the motor industry", the executive secretary added. Mr. Mensah said the project had already been started in Brong Ahafo, Ashanti and Greater Accra regions, adding 22 motor companies, sales representatives as well as training institutions had been identified for dialogue on issues affecting operations of the garages.