Parliament pass Kimberley Process Certificate Bill

Accra, Oct. 23, GNA- Parliament on Thursday passed the Kimberley Process Certification Bill under a Certificate of Urgency )CU) after it had been delayed on three occasions.

The passing of the Bill has become necessary after the international community under the auspices of the United Nations Organisation (UNO) came together to design a processing scheme to prevent warring diamond producing countries from exporting their produce.

Chairman of the Committee on Mines, Mr Albert Boadi-Mensah moved the Motion for the passage of the Bill and concluded that Ghana has been in the forefront of the struggle to liberate the victims of war who are mostly women and children of Africa.

He said it came to the notice of the international community that diamond from conflict areas normally referred to as "conflict diamonds" are used in certain countries to fund rebel activities to undermine legitimate democratic governments.

Mr Boadi-Mensah said: "the passage of the Kimberley Process Bill is therefore the continuation of our commitment towards the struggle for peace and development on the African continent".

He said Ghana is a signatory to the draft of the Kimberly process measures but has not been able to sell its produce on the world market due to lack of legal frame work to back the process.

Under the Process, participating countries are required to deposit their legal framework or laws on the scheme with the Secretariat at Kimberley, South Africa.

Although a resolution was taken by the Parliament of Ghana to prove its support for the UN backed Kimberley Process Certification measures, the absence of a legislation to support the measure mad it impossible for Ghana to export diamonds to the world market since August 31, 2003. The Committee unanimously agreed that the Bill is an urgent one since Ghana has not been able to sell her diamonds in the World market and the situation has led to the crippling of diamond mining activities at Akwatia and other areas in the country.