The Ministry for
Fisheries and Agriculture Development (MoFAD) has restocked 32 dams and dugouts
with 10 million catfish, tilapia and heterotis fingerlings in some communities
in the Northern part of the country.
The initiative is part of
interventions being made to promote aquaculture development, Madam Elizabeth
Afoley Quaye, Fisheries and Agriculture Development Minister said.
The restocking, carried out
in June last year, was expected to provide additional 10,350 metric tons of
fish to enhance the nutrition intake of the communities in northern Ghana.
The minister was
responding to questions related to her ministry in Parliament in Accra
yesterday.
Responding to a question posed by Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, as to whether the suppliers of the fingerlings had been paid, Madam Quaye answered in the affirmative, but fell short in disclosing the amount of money involved.
She said the three
companies, namely, M/S Northern Empowerment Association, M/S Flosell Limited
and M/S Delta Fisheries Limited had been paid since January this year, with all
the companies acknowledging receipt of payments with the
exception of M/S Northern Empowerment Association.
Madam Quaye said the
aquaculture industry has a high potential to increase domestic fish production,
reduce fish imports and create additional jobs along the value chain.
She said in order to
harness the full potential of the industry, there was the need to provide
adequate incentives to stimulate sector participation, especially in the inputs
supply to aquaculture operators.
Madam Quaye said one of
the main hindrances to the development of the aquaculture industry was the high
cost of inputs, explaining that “it increases the cost of production and
reduces profitability of the industry along the value chain.”
“It also militates
against the investment drive in the aquaculture sub-sector,” she added.
Responding to another question
from Mr Annoh-Dompreh as to the steps being taken to waive taxes on agriculture
inputs to serve as a booster to the industry, she said plans were far advanced
to get aquaculture inputs back into the tax waiver regime.
Explaining further, she
said in the process of the implementing the Harmonised System and Customs Tariff
Schedule (HSCTS) in 2007, the exemptions granted covered fishing inputs,
however, when the schedule was reviewed in 2017, all the exemptions were
removed from the list.
Ms Quaye said as part of
efforts to ensure the inclusion of aquaculture inputs on the list of exemptions,
MOFAD had held consultations with key stakeholders in the industry and agreed
on the list of inputs exclusive to the use of aquaculture industry.
She said the ministry had submitted the list of inputs to the
Ministry of Finance for consideration and inclusion in the HSCTS, adding
that it was expect that the list submitted would be within the
framework of the 2017 HSCTS.
BY LAWRENCE MARKWEI
Source: www.ghanaiantimes.com.gh/32-dams-dugouts-in-northern-ghana-restocked-with-10-million-fishes-fisheries-minister-%EF%BB%BF/
