Accra, May 26, GNA - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday said Ghana was on the verge of achieving its aim of totally phasing out Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by January 2010, if only individuals and companies continued to comply with the demands of the Montreal Protocol.

Parties to the Montreal protocol, which include Ghana, have agreed to reduce and then eliminate the use of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) before substitutes and alternative technologies are fully available. According to the EPA, as at January 1, 2005, Ghana had been able to achieve 50 per cent reduction in its usage of CFC, through the vigilance of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) officers at all the entry points, by ensuring that CFC products imported to the country were within the domain of the EPA regulations.

"We are aiming at achieving 85 per cent reduction by January 1, 2007 if the kind of cooperation being enjoyed with all the stakeholders continues," Mr Emmanuel Osae Quansah, a Deputy Director of the EPA said at a stakeholder's seminar in Accra.

The seminar was aimed at sensitising stakeholders on the management of Ozone Depleting Substances and products regulations regarding the Legislative Instrument (LI) 1812 of 2005.

The Purpose of LI 1812 is to protect the Ozone Layer from further depletion and also to enable Ghana to meet her national obligations in line with the Montreal Protocol.

Mr Quansah said man-made chemicals, called Ozone Depletion Substances (ODS), were responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer, which further had serious consequences for human beings and the environment.

He said the surge in cases of eye diseases such as cataract and skin diseases, global warming leading to floods and other catastrophes and the depletion of fish stocks, were all due to the effects of the depletion of the Ozone Layer, which allowed ultraviolet radiations to come directly to the earth's surface.

The good news, Mr. Quansah said was that researchers had admitted that the rate of depletion of the Ozone had slowed down with the compliance measures put in place by a number of countries. "However, the Ozone would not be completely healed until at least 50 years from now if compliance by countries continued at the same pace or with even more stringent measures in place."

Mr. Quansah said to ensure that importers did not flout the laws, the EPA always inspected all likely consignments of goods and gave clearance certificates only after being satisfied with their inspection, before CEPS took over with other formalities.

He entreated all well-meaning Ghanaians to continue with the sensitisation programmes that would enable all to be mindful of the usage of ozone depleting substances.

Mrs Margaret Ahiadeke of the EPA Legal Department said though the law was being enforced in a very stringent manner, it gave some exemptions to imports or exports of ozone depleting substances to be used for medical purposes.

She said there was a caveat on products imported in small quantities for personal or domestic or non-commercial use that did not attract customs duty.