RPIB commends government for initiating moves to revamp cotton industry
The Revenue Protection Information Bureau (RPIB), has commended the government for initiating the Ghana Cotton Revival Project, describing it as “timely and a blessing to cotton farmers”.
The RPIB said the project would revamp the cotton industry in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions where most farmers depends on the ‘White Gold’.
Mr Alex Agyemang, Administrative Secretary of the Bureau, gave the commendation in Accra in a statement at the weekend.
He said the project would save the industry from eventual collapse.
Mr Agyemang said this major intervention would offer more than 100,000 direct employments in the agriculture sector, adding that it is yet another demonstration by the government to fulfil its electoral promises to the people in the three Regions.
He said the zoning of the regions into three sectors and the breaking of the monopoly of one purchasing company would curb the abuses that nearly resulted in the collapse of the industry.
“It is our (RPIB) hope that the new strategic partners who would be operating in the various zones would take steps to motivate the farmers to increase production.
“It is also good news to our farmers that government intends to announce a guarantee price for cotton just as it has done for other major exports.
“However RPIB is appealing to the government to commission a Presidential Enquiry to investigate the circumstances that led to the near bankruptcy of the Ghana Cotton Company Limited.”
Mr Agyemang said the term of reference of the commission should include what the revenue earned from the cotton exports was used for and what caused the huge losses incurred by the hard working farmers.
He said the company that purchased the cotton from the farmers is claiming that it is yet to receive payment from the government for its services.
“This has placed the farmers in debt as a result of loans contracted to plant the crop.
“RPIB welcomes the new partners on the field of White Gold in the three regions and hope government would give these companies the maximum support to invest in the cotton industry.”
Mr Agyemang expressed the hope that the partners would bring their expertise in the cocoa sector to bear in the cotton industry for the farmers to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
Source: GNA