The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. Mike Hammah, has called on indigenous entrepreneurs in the country to add-value to their products.

This he said, would expand the local economy and help reduce poverty in the country.

Mr. Hammah said this during a media interaction at the ongoing regional policy fair at the Essipong Sports stadium.

He called for a policy shift from the export of raw materials to processing of natural resources to attract higher prices on the international market.

Mr. Hammah said the management and ownership of indigenous local industries should be Ghanaians; saying, this would help in retaining the revenue in the country.

“When there is linkage among the local industries, it would create more job opportunities for the unemployed youth, expand the economy and accelerate national development,” he said.

Mr. Paul Evans Aidoo, The Western Regional Minister, answering questions from the media on encroachment of Sui Forest Reserve, said the Forestry Commission had taken measures to stem the tide and called for a collective effort from all the stakeholders to help check the menace.

Mr. Aidoo also deplored illegal small-scale mining popularly known as “galamsey’ in rivers and thereby polluting sources of drinking water for majority of inhabitants in the region.

He called for the need to build the capacity of the staff of the Judiciary such that they would appreciate the extent of the harm caused by such illegal mining so they would in turn not hesitate to give the maximum sentence to offenders who were bent on destroying the environment.

The fair being organized by the Ministry of Information in collaboration with the Regional Administration is aimed at enhancing public understanding of government policies and programmes.

The four-day fair created a platform for the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies as well as Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the Region to display their projects to the public.**