Accra, Dec. 31, GNA - The Food and Drugs Board (FDB) said on Thursday that 11,466 metric tonnes (229,938 bags) of Burmese rice on board MV Stephanis, which= is currently at the Tema Port, would not be permitted onto the Ghanaian market due to "quality and safety implications".

In a statement signed by Dr. Stephen K. Opuni, Chief Executive, the FDB said prior to the arrival of the said rice, the Board got information about the unwholesomeness of the said consignment for human consumption and that it had earlier been rejected by two neighbouring West African countries for the same reason.

It said this information was immediately passed on to the National Security. The statement said upon arrival in Ghana on the December 7, 2009, it=

was noticed that

there was no consignee in Ghana and the Product had not been registered b= y the FDB. "The Food and Drugs Board learnt that some sample of rice was allege= dly taken from the

consignment by an official of the Port Health Authority for testing at th= e Ghana Standard

Board Laboratory. "The Food and Drugs Board had a meeting with officials from the Por= t Health Authority

and Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and informed them that there was no

way the said rice would be released onto the Ghanaian market since the safety and quality of

the said product could not be guaranteed." Furthermore, it said, a meeting with CEPS concluded that the ship wo= uld be de-listed from

its manifest. "Though the Food and Drugs Board had made its intention clear that t= he consignment

should not be allowed entry into Ghana, information received indicates th= at the Port Health

Authority had fumigated the said consignment. "In spite of all steps taken by the Food and Drugs Board, National Security and CEPS to

prevent the berthing of the ship MV Stephanis and the discharge of the sa= id unwholesome rice

consignment, our attention has been drawn to the fact that some officials= at the Tema Port

(Port Health and some others) took advantage of the Christmas Holidays to=

allow the ship to

come into berth and discharged 15,000 bags of weevil-infested rice into S= hed 8 at the Tema

Harbour." FDB said the offloaded rice had been quarantined by the Board, Natio= nal Security and

CEPS and kept under constant monitoring. It said all necessary steps were being taken in liaison with the National Security, CEPS and

other relevant state agencies to ensure that the said consignment is put back on the ship, MV

Stephanis, and re-exported immediately. 31 Dec. 09