The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Sheikh I.C. Quaye, has said that contrary to popular perception, the menace of armed robbery cases in the region is being effectively contained by the security agencies. He said available statistics indicate that while 21 arrests were made out of 300 reported cases last year, as many as 117 arrests have been made out of 479 cases this year.

The Minister made these disclosures yesterday at the "Meet the Press" series organized by the Ministry of Information. He said statistics further reveal that cases of armed robbery have declined steadily in the second half of this year from 25 in August to 14 at the present date. He attributed the reduction in armed robbery to the intensification of patrols by the security agencies. This, he said, had created a new sense of security among residents in the two major cities of Accra and Tema.

"It is worth noting that the current achievement in combating armed robbery is on account of the resourcing of the Police Service with patrol vehicles by the government of the New Patriotic Party".

However, Sheikh I.C. Quaye said, in addition to petty stealing, defilement and fraud, one notable crime that seems to be on the increase is car hijacking. He said police reports indicate that car hijacking is the new threat that ought to be brought to the attention of the public while steps are taken to fight it. He commended the security agencies in exhibiting gallantry and professionalism in their efforts to combat crime and gave the assurance of continuous support and encouragement.

Touching on the significance of the Greater Accra Region to the national economy, the Minister said, the region has the best-developed economic and social infrastructure consisting of road networks, railways, telecommunication, health facilities and educational institutions. The region, he said is also the hub of industrial and commercial activities in the country as it serves as Ghana's economic nerve-centre and major gateway to other parts of the country and the outside world.

He said economic activities in the region are generally propelled by a large ready market and a sophisticated banking sector which provides essential financial services to a wide range of business entrepreneurs and institutions.

These developmental strides notwithstanding, he said, there are equally challenging factors facing the region. Prominent among these factors are chieftaincy disputes, cultural and religious conflicts, uncontrolled and unauthorized development, inefficient waste management, street hawking, flooding, poor revenue mobilization, crime and encroachment.

The minister gave an update on some of the development activities for the region. He said, under the urban roads and highways sub-sectors, government had secured funds to undertake various project in the region comprising routine maintenance, periodic maintenance, minor rehabilitation and upgrading, new inter-change developments and arterial roads construction for the period of 2002 to 2004.

On the agricultural front, the minister said, the Greater Accra Region is developing very fast with regard to commercial agriculture production both for the export market and domestic consumption. Presently, he said, about 41,276 hectares of land are under cultivation for all the major crops. He said the region is noted for fish production from marine and inland water bodies with the current marine sector output standing at about 400,000 metric tonnes.

The minister said rice production has increased tremendously over the past few years as a result of radical measures being implemented by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Regional Administration. For instance, he said rice production had been stepped up in the 3000 hectare Kpong Irrigation Project Site with an annual production of about 25,000 metric tonnes of high quality processed and marketed under various brand names such as Gold Star, Silver Star and Omo Tuo.

A mini fair was organized by the Regional Coordinating Council at the forecourt of the Ministry of Information as part of the programme to exhibit some of the products and services of mainly small scale industries in the region. The minister said the mini fair has been instituted as an annual event to showcase the potentials and achievements of the Greater Accra Region.