Accra, July 28, GNA - Citi FM, an Accra private radio station, on Thursday launched a documentary programme, 'the Advocacy Boardroom' to set an agenda for discussion and provide a platform for civil society groups to lead advocacy on specific issues affecting national development.

The 10-minute feature programme is also expected to bring together a mix of industry players, policy formulators and implementers to make vital suggestions on how Ghana's problems could be solved to enhance development in the country.

Mr Joel Jordi Lamptey, Producer of the programme, said the weekly event starts this Saturday at 0610 hours. "The first production would feature the poultry industry, highlight its problems, success and policies that affect its growth." He said subsequent programmes would discuss issues like Ghana's representation at World Trade Talks, the issues with regard to water privatisation, access to anti-retroviral drugs for People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs), the Minerals and Mining Bill and its relevance and the activities of mining companies in the country.

Mr Lamptey noted that trade barriers continued to remain a constant headache for producers, whose activities were hinged on the back of its exports and such barriers hindered export from Ghana's from entering the European market. "The programme would provide information and education to local farmers to boost production," he said. He called on other media men, civil society groups, businessmen and intellectuals to support the programme to enhance Ghana's competitiveness both locally and internationally.

Dr Steve Manteaw, Campaigns Coordinator, ISODEC, urged journalists to devote more time on issues that were geared towards enhancing the local well being of all citizens instead of focusing on politics. He noted that many local industries were folding up due to the influx of cheap foreign products that had won great Ghanaian patronage. "Because these products are greatly subsidised in their various countries of origin, they are cheap as compared to ours which received no such support," he said.

Dr Manteaw mentioned the Unilever Ghana Limited, which had threatened to lay off about 500 of its workers due to the fall in its profit as a result of the competition of similar goods imported into the county. He said this could cause the nation dearly because Unilever employed a great number of the youth and urged the Government to do something about the situation.