Sunyani (B/A), Nov. 24, GNA - Mr Samuel Newton-Addo, Project Manager of the Ghana Co-operatives Council has expressed his concern about the delay in the approval of the council's new bill drafted two years ago.

He stated that the bill was a re-enactment of the co-operatives societies' decree made in 1968, which has been modernized to meet the current liberalized economy. Mr Addo was addressing co-operative members and stakeholders of the council in Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo regions at day's sensitization workshop at the weekend in Sunyani. The stakeholders included representatives of Ghana Marketing Association, Pharmaceutical Association, Susu Collectors Association, Food Farmers and Marketers Association, Credit Unions Association and Association of Metro Unions. The workshop was aimed at adopting measures to ensure the passing of the bill through the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment. The bill, expected to be enforced by July next year, would cover a wide range of issues concerning the council, including the registration of co-operatives, imposition of sanctions for breach of the rules of co-operatives, inspection of co-operatives, dissolution or liquidation of co-operatives and any other matters that may be determined by the Ministry.

Mr Addo noted that the numerous seminars organized at both national and regional levels under the sponsorship of the Co-operative League of the United States of America and the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge Fund, were aimed at collecting and collating the views and ideas of the various stakeholders on the bill before taking it to the Cabinet for approval.

He said the co-operative societies were formally introduced in 1928 to help improve the quality of exported cocoa products and that in 1960. He expressed his regret that the current bill had failed to meet the peculiar needs of co-operatives and that "the laws do not reflect on the current macro-economic environment". Mr George K. Gyimah, Administrative Manager of the Council, said the Council's activities had been halted due to the lack of support by the government as well as insufficient contributions by co-operatives to finance such activities.

The approval of the new bill would help acquire the needed support from the government to facilitate the affairs of the Council, he added. He said introducing the new bill would create an enabling environment for co-operatives, which would promote the private sector-led development in their various communities. It would also strengthen the financial avenues and managerial competence of the co-operatives and also create employment opportunities to improve income as well as reducing poverty, especially among vulnerable groups. The administrative manager urged the various stakeholders to help educate the public on the bill to win the support of the general public.

24 Nov. 08