Accra (Greater Accra) 3rd July '99

Mr Cletus Avoka, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology on Friday told Parliament that it is incorrect that mining activities in the Tarkwa area are adversely affecting the eyesight of the residents.

He said data obtained by the Ministry from the Wassa District Health Service do not support the allegations.

He said according to the data, only about two per cent of out-patients who reported at the Tarkwa Government Hospital between January 1997 and May 1999, had acute eye problems of short duration which were treated on out-patient basis.

Mr Avoka said these acute eye problems do not affect eyesight.

The data also indicated that for the whole of the Wassa West District, only five per cent of eye cases reported were from the Tarkwa Government Hospital.

The Minister had been asked whether he was aware that activities of the Teberebe Mining Company at Tarkwa are adversely affecting the eyesight of most residents of the area, during "Question Time" in Parliament on Friday.

The question stood in the name of Mr Stephen Kwadwo Balado Manu, NPP-Ahafo Ano South.

Mr Avoka assured the House that the Ministry would, however, intensify its monitoring activities and collaborate with the Ministry of Health as well as the Ministry of Mines and Energy to ensure that health problems arising from mining and other economic activities were adequately addressed.

On monies accruing from the National Environment Fund and how these were disbursed, Mr Avoka said since its establishment in 1995, about 688.805 million cedis had been realised as at the end of last year.

Of the amount, 176.548 million cedis had been expended on human resource development while 4.10 million cedis had gone into research and studies as at the end of 1998.

The monies come from levies collected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the performance of its duties, he said.

He said under the Act establishing the Fund, the monies should be used in public education on the environment, research, studies and investigations relating to the functions of the EPA and human resource development.

Asked whether it would be possible to extend credit facilities from the Fund to charcoal burners to establish woodlots, Mr Avoka said the inadequacy of the fund would not allow its extension to charcoal burners.

There is, however, a complementary programme to shift them to other economic activities to help check the rate of deforestation resulting from charcoal burning, the Minister added.