GRi Business News 17-03-99

The people of Forikrom, near Techiman have spent 15 million cedis to erect 110 wooden poles for their electrification project.

Mr James Gyamfi, assembly member for the area said this at a rally organised by the Department of Community Development and the Techiman district assembly to educate the people on topical issues affecting them.

Mr Gyamfi said about three-quarters of houses in the communities have been wired under the project which started three years ago.

The project is financed through special levies of 10,000 cedis a man and 5,000 cedis a woman for residents, while non-resident men and women are paying 20,000 cedis and 10,000 cedis respectively towards the purchase of the remaining 60 poles.

Mr Gyamfi said the people were waiting for the connection of the town to the national grid under the Self-Help Electrification Project (SHEP) and appealed to the assembly to open up roads linking the town to other communities in the area.

Mr Francis Yaw Gyarko, District Chief Executive for Techiman, urged the people to pay their levies to enhance development and warned those who fail to pay will be dealt with according to the law.

Sunyani (Brong Ahafo), 17 March 

The Brong-Ahafo Regional Secretariat of the Value Added Tax (VAT) is to take legal action against 18 companies and individuals for failing to register to collect the tax as required by law.

"The affected companies and individuals have blatantly refused to fill and return VAT registration forms issued to them by the secretariat since December last year despite numerous reminders".

Mr Atsu Menyawovor, Regional VAT co-ordinator, said this when addressing a seminar on ''Effective enforcement of the VAT law, offences and penalties'' at Sunyani on Tuesday.

It was organised by the Regional Co-ordinating Council, for 45 participants drawn from the various security agencies in the region to sharpen their knowledge about VAT laws in order to prosecute offenders.

Mr Menyawovor described as "a very serious offence for people or companies to refuse to register when they fall within the category of businesses required to register under the VAT law".

Those who refuse to register are liable to fines not exceeding 10 million cedis or five years imprisonment under the law. So far 388 of the 430 registration forms issued to traders and companies have been returned.

Mr Menyawovor urged the law enforcement personnel to be conversant with the provisions of the VAT law to enable them to assist in the effective enforcement of the Act establishing VAT.

Kenyasi No 2(Brong Ahafo), 17 March 

About three billion cedis has been paid as compensation to farmers whose lands have been affected through the operations of La Source Development, a French gold mining company in the Asutifi and Tano districts of the Brong Ahafo Region.

Mr Chick Senayah, site manager of the company, made this known to Mr Donald Adabre, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, during a visit to the company as part of a familiarisation tour of the Asutifi District.

He mentioned farmers at Techire, Adobaa, Yamfo, Kenyasi Number One and Two and Ntotroso as those who had so far benefited from the compensation package.

Briefing the minister about the operations of the company, the senior geologist, Mr Joseph Collins, told Mr Adabre that the company was now assessing the economic viability of gold deposits in the 70 kilometre stretch from Techire in the Tano district to Ayomso in the Asutifi district.

Mr Collins expressed optimism that the company would soon complete its exploratory adventures to enable it to embark on full-scale mining to provide employment for the people in the area. Mr Kelvin Hughes, Health/Safety Environmental Manager, said the necessary steps have been adopted to ensure that the company's operations do not affect the environment or the health of the people.

Mr Adabre commended the company for its operations so far and urged its management to ensure a good rapport between it and the local people to forestall agitations.