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Opinions of Tuesday, 28 May 2013

Columnist: Tawiah, Francis

Ghana Imported Millions Of Dollars Worth Arms From Russia

In 2012

United States, Russia, Germany, France and the United Kingdom share 75% of the world market in Arms.

Russia is currently the number two of the international arms exporters, the country however in the past year set a new record, because they gained new customers including GHANA, Oman, as well as Tanzania. Russia therefore sold weapons worth 15.2 billion dollars, equivalent to about 11.4 alone in 2012.

They are making progress in the export of Arms through increasing the number of their African customers which GHANA forms part.

Russian general export volume of the military goods has reached a volume of $ 15.16 billion, citing"The Economic Times"Alexander Fomin, head of the Agency for Military cooperation, in Moscow. The Russians Arms export target to 112% has therefore been achieved.

Russian Arms exports has been highly booming since 2003but still, according to Alexander Fomin, head of the Agency for Military cooperation, in Moscow, his figures given were preliminary. However as at February, Russia ranks position 2, closely behind the United States of America, in terms of Arms export.

He said in the past two years alone, the country could increase its sales by a whopping 46 percent. In 2011, Russia achieved a volume of $ 13.2 billion, it was $ 10.4 billion a year earlier. This was strongly associated with the military ties with India and China.

In 2012 new customers were added. These included GHANA and Oman, as well as Tanzania.

Five countries hold 75 percent of the global export. The voice of Russia reported at the time: "during the period 2006-2010 75% of the exports of conventional Arms fell to five countries, that is the United States, Russia, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. Among these five countries United States and Russia were by a wide margin at the top, to the 30% or accounted for 23 percent of sales. The main weapons importers were India, China, South Korea, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates and Greece, with GHANA and Tanzania joining from Africa.

Do we (GHANAIAN PEOPLE) need to open our windows and just throw some huge amount of money away just like that, while our water pipes supplying the citizens are almost empty and power supply too has become a very big problem through out the entire country or it was part of the 2012 election strategical tactic by the NDC government?

FRANCIS TAWIAH (Duisburg - Germany)