Jumat, 05 Oktober 2012

GHAHA TO HAVE AN ARMS PRODUCTION UNIT BY 2013

 STORY BY ZAINABU ISSAH

Plans are far advanced to set up an arms production unit in the country by 2013, the Director General of Defence Industries Department (DID), Mr Hyacinth Nii Armah Tagoe has revealed.

He said the country currently imports ammunitions into the country including blank ammunitions for training which costs a lot and drains the country’s budget and resources.

“If we have our own ammunition plant here, we would be able to produce our own guns to be distributed to the various security agencies and also export if necessary,” he said.

The arms production unit forms part of the numerous project that the department is undertaking by the year 2013 and they include,the construction of affordable housing units, vehicle assembling points, agro processing plants, renewable energy and radios, garment and foot wear tailoring centres, printing and computer centres.

The required capital to start these projects stands at US$2,210 and when completed would create 8,400 jobs in the country.

The DID was set up in 2011 with consultation  with the Military High Command and the Ministry of Defence to evolve a strategic plan for the effective management of emerging threats to the social-economic and human security challenges confronting the country.

Mr Armah Tagoe made this known in his presentation on the areas of concern and possible cooperation of the Defence Industries Holding Company (DIHCO) Limited, to a 30 member delegation from South Africa who paid a working visit to the Ministry today.

DIHCO is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that will implement the  mission, vision, and the objectives of the Military High Command with a mission to collaborate with the Civil Authority for socio-economic development.

The visit led by the Minister for Public Enterprises from South Africa, Mr Mauls Gigaba was to see how best both countries would collaborate with each other to improve the economy and welfare of its people.

The delegation was made up of representatives from the transport, rails and logistics, energy, Information Communication Technology (ICT), forestry, mining, defence manufacturing, and airways.

Mr Tagoe further revealed plans to build three referral hospitals in two, six and seven garrisons in the country adding that the addition of new hospitals would help the country to achieve the Millennium Development Goals four, five and six.

Additionally, a pharmaceutical  drugs production plant would also be set up  to ensure that all the drugs listed  on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and other essential drugs in the health management scheme are sold to the public and private health facilities  at discounted prices.

“This is to ensure that the financial burden at the NHIS posses to the Government’s annual budget is reduces drastically,” he said.

He explained further that the project would ensure that the health delivery system in the country was affordable to all and sundry irrespective of social or financial status.

He however, pledged the Ghana Armed Forces commitment to support the Civil Authority to undertake accelerated developmental projects in the country.

“This noble institution of state is dedicated to the realisation of its vision and capable of achieving the mission within the proposed time frame,” he added. 

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Defence, the Acting Director General of the Ministry of Defence, Mr Micheal Offei expressed optimism that the visit of the South African delegation would go a long way in paving a very flexible and productive collaboration that would go a long way to consolidate and support the existing relationship.

Furthermore, the development and growth of both countries would have positive impact on the lives of its citizenry adding that it was a very laudable idea to constantly deliberate on issues to know how to move the nations further.

He however, called for corporation that could support the Ministry to move forward and develop other sectors of the economy to generate employment and create job opportunities for the youth.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of Denel , a defence manufacturing company in South Africa, Mr  Riaz Saloojee,  in his remarks expressed interest to collaborate with the Ministry to set up an ammunition plant for the production of arms and a vehicle assembling point in the country.

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