The government has written off the debt of 1.8 billion owed to it by the Farmers Services Company (FASCOM). A source close to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture who disclosed this said the gesture is aimed at ensuring the good performance of the Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen (GNAFF) which has taken over the operations of the company.

The source said the government has also decided to transfer its 60 per cent equity shares in FASCOM in the two Upper Regions. It said under the arrangement, the GNAFF Secretariat will take half of government'current shares while the upper East and West Regional Houses of Chiefs will share the remaining half equally. Meanwhile, the acting National President of GNAFF, Mr Bismark Dornu-Nartey has commended the government for writing off the FASCOM debt.

He said GNAFF deems the gesture as a goodwill which will enable the new company to start off on a sound footing. Mr Dornu-Nartey gave the commendation in a reaction to the government gesture at the first council meeting of the regional branch of GNAFF recently held in Accra.

He gave the assurance that the government is doing everything possible to ease difficulties facing farmers and fishermen in the country. The Regional Chairman of GNAFF, Mr. S.O. Ayim appealed to the government to take over the distribution of fishing and farming inputs.

He said the present arrangement under which most inputs are channelled through the district assemblies makes it difficult for the farmers to readily get the inputs. Mr Ayim also urged the government to ensure that the importation of farm unputs are not left in the hands of private individuals.

He said the government could take over the the importation of such items to save the Ghanaian farmer form exhorbitant prices.