Five Indians held in Ghana

Accra (Ghana) : Five Indians and 31 other foreigners were arrested in Ghana for flouting investment laws, the authorities said.

The other foreigners arrested include 28 Chinese, two Filipinos, and one Bangladeshi. The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) said the foreigners were illegally engaged in business in Accra. They were arrested by the GIS's National Enforcement Unit.

GIS spokesman Francis Palmdeti said the foreigners were arrested for breaching the GIPC's (Ghana Investment Promotion Centre) Act and conditions of their residence permits.

Meanwhile, Ghanan President John Atta Mills announced during his state of the nation address that foreign direct investment in the country has increased, and Indian investment was the second highest after Chinese.

Mills said: "A fortnight ago, the GIPC released figures showing an increase in projects it had registered amounting to over $7 billion in foreign direct investment."

"I expect the recently established Inter Agency Task Force to ensure full compliance of provisions of the GIPC Act especially relating to immigration and tax," he said.

"It must be indicated that, it is an offence for any foreign national to engage in commercial activities such as hawking, petty trading, selling from a kiosk at any place, and operating a taxi or car hire service except where the foreigner have provided a minimum fleet of 10 new vehicles, among others," GIS said in a statement.