Accra, May17, GNA -The National Premix Fuel Secretariat (NPFS) of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture has held a sensitisation programme for members of the newly constituted Landing Beach Committees (LBCs) in the various regions.
The aim was to educate the members on their various roles and responsibilities of the L.I.2233 and L.I 2251 to ensure transparency and accountability in the fishing industry.
This would also allow for improvement in the activities of the fisher folks and enhance development in their respective regions and districts.
Addressing the participants, Mr Michael Arthur Dadzie, the Director of Fisheries, said the Government was putting in place the necessary structures to ensure that the fisher folks operated within the laws.
He said by Law 53 per cent, amounting (Ghȼ1, 100.00) of the proceeds from the sale of premix fuel was supposed to be kept in an account in the name of the local community for its development.
This Law, he said, had been flouted for a long time with the gains going into individual pockets, a situation he reiterated, needed to be stopped hence the initiatives.
He said the Government, as well as the Secretariat, wanted to ensure that the sale and distribution of premix fuel were monitored to the latter and for this reason had maintained a general price to check over pricing.
Mr Dadzie said in order to ensure that the procedures were followed to the letter, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) with other stakeholders, had put tracking devices on all trucks carrying premix fuel to make sure the fuel was not diverted to other destinations or not stolen.
He said the sensitisation workshop had been taken seriously by the Secretariat and the Ministry because all the laws pertaining to the fishing industry would be fully implemented and anyone found culpable would be dealt with accordingly.
He, therefore, urged the Committee members representing their districts to be ambassadors and educate their various communities on the laws and their responsibilities.
Mr Jeremiah Amoah, a Member of the NPFC, educating the committees on their functions and tenure of office, urged them to know that their work was for the benefit of the entire fisher folks and advised them not to mismanage funds accrued from the sale of premix fuel.
He encouraged them to consult each other frequently to get things done; and on a quarterly basis report to the Community to ensure transparency and accountability.
Mr Nemorius Ner-Nye Peng Yir, also a NPFC member, who educated the fishermen on how to share their proceeds; said the compulsory 53 per cent would be set aside for the Community’s development.
Additionally, he said, ’12 per cent would go to the Chief Fisherman’s Office, 10 per cent to the Secretary and seven per cent for the pump attendant because they were had been engaged by the Government.
‘Of the remaining 18 per cent, 4.5 per cent would go to the marine sector and 3.6 per cent would also go to the inland sector.’
The committees were also educated on good record keeping, the various offences and penalties for diversion and over-pricing of premix fuel and how to keep accurate measurement of the fuel in stock and during off-loading.
GNA
By Samira Larbie, GNA
