Government to solve problems facing salt industry

Winneba, Dec. 21, GNA - The Minister of State responsible for President's Special Initiative (PSI), Mr Ishael Ashittey on Friday reiterated that government will continue to assist salt producers to overcome their problems, particularly those that are not wheather-related.

He said Ghana's potential for commercial salt production is 2.5 to three tones, but is currently producing around 150,000 metric tones per annum due to numerous problems facing the industry. Mr Ashittey said this when closing a five-day training workshop for 40 salt producers from the Western and Central Regions at Winneba. The workshop, organized by the PSI Secretariat was aimed at introducing participants to new methods, and improving skills in salt production, based on solar operation.

Mr Ashittey said the government is interested in salt production because of its economic values and vast commercial market outside the country. He urged the participants to apply what they have learnt in their operations.

Mr Eric Ankrah, Course Prefect, gave the assurance that the new knowledge they have gained would help produce good quality salt to meet international standards.

Earlier, the Dean of Science Faculty University of Cape Coast and member of the Board of Directors of President's Special Initiative (PSI), Professor Victor Gadzekpo, had also expressed government's determination to make Ghana's salt industry a giant income generating venture.

He advised salt winners in the country to take advantage of the government's move to learn more about salt winning business to enable them to play a key role in the sector.

He said the government knew the enormous economic returns the country would derive from the salt industry, hence the organization of the training workshops to keep producers abreast with modern technology and trends in salt business.

Mr David Kwabena Oppong, National Co-ordinator on President's Special Initiative on Salt, charged salt producers to accept the challenge to study critically various guidelines and techniques needed for the promotion of the salt industry.

Mr Oppong said the time has come for Ghanaian salt winners to do away with the old method of winning the commodity.

He regretted that in spite of the repeated calls on them to stop the old system of winning salt, most salt winners in salt winning towns and villages along the country's beaches still maintain the system. Mr Paul Victor Obeng, a former advisor to the former NDC government and salt business analyst, announced government plans to run special courses for students pursuing Higher National Diploma (HND) in the country's polytechnic institutions.

Mr Obeng said this would help boost the salt industry in future.