TMCnet News
Need for wood village in Ho [Ghana News Agency](Ghana News Agency Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Ho, May 23, GNA -- A stakeholders dialogue in Ho Wednesday, under the auspices of the Ho Timber Marketers Association (HOTMA) has said there was the urgent need for a one-stop timber market in the municipality. The consensus was that the market, to be called Volta Wood Village, would promote standards and tax compliance among others. A research report reviewed at the meeting indicated that the current haphazard business locations of wood dealers made physical planning for the municipal authorities difficult. Dr Reuben Tettey, a consultant who tabled the research findings, said the Ho Timber Marketers are mostly squatters located at isolated pockets within Ho Municipality. He said apart from being invincible and inaccessible to buyers, members face frequent ejections and relocations, such situation was negatively affecting their businesses and wood sub-sector businesses in the Volta Region. Dr Tettey said the idea being propagated was a market such as that at Sokoban in Kumasi where all the direct correlating businesses and incidentals could be found. Slyvanus Plahar, Assistant Director at the Ho Municipal Assembly, said a Wood Market for Ho had been on the drawing board of the Assembly. He said the Assembly was not unaware of the aesthetical dent the clumsily located wood sales points were inflicting on the Municipality and would support the project. Mr Eli Tsikata, Deputy Director at the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC), suggested a write-up on the project, including cost and livelihood impact, which would be circulated to find sponsors. Mr William Baah, Regional Manager, Forestry Commission who presided lauded the initiative but regretted the bulk of woods sold in the region were illegally obtained. He advised HOTMA to go into wood cultivation. Mr Gabriel Tettevi, the HOTMA Chairman, said the Association was abreast with developments in the business including the fact that Ghana might have to import wood in the future from Liberia, Cameroon and Guyana. He said his members had always wanted to do active but clean business in wood. The research into the timber business in Ho was funded under the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund. GNA // (c) 2014 Ghana News Agency (GNA) Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |