Akwatia, Jan. 6, GNA - A ban placed on carting sand and stones from the stockpile at the Ghana Consolidated Diamonds (GCD) at Akwatia on December 20 last year, has been lifted on Thursday January 6, 2011.

Members of the Kwaebibirem Sand and Stone Suppliers Association have now returned to brisk business.

The ban was imposed by GCD following a letter from the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC) to the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and copied to the Managing Director of GCD.

The company, which is under divestiture, had earlier been asked by the DIC not to dispose off any assets but that did not include sand and stones, which are waste materials from their operations.

Following the imposition of the ban, a delegation of the sand and stones suppliers met the Production Manager of GCD, Mr Delali Kabe and expressed concern that not only would the ban affect members of the Association by throwing them out of business, but it would also retard development, including government projects.

Mr Kabe informed them that it was a directive from DIC but he promised to impress it upon the DIC in a letter to lift the ban as it would retard progress and development. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), four members of the executive= , Mr Kofi Kyei, Chairman, Mr Kwame Ofori, Vice Chairman, Mr Emmanuel Mensah, Secretary and Mr Martin Logah, Treasurer, noted that if the ban had not bee= n lifted, it would delay construction of school blocks in some of the districts. They said GCD was the main supplier of sand and stones for building an= d other projects in the district but developers from neighbouring districts, like West Akyem Municipality, Birim North, Birim Central, Birim South and other areas also had supplies from GCD. The ban affected the livelihoods of over 400 people comprising drivers= , loaders, truck owners and also blocks makers.