MTN GHANA HOLDS 3rd ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING VIRTUALLY ON TUESDAY MAY 25, 2021
Scancom PLC (MTN Ghana) will host shareholders at a virtual meeting via www.mtnghagm.com from 11:00am on Tuesday May 25, 2021. The meeting, which is the company’s third Annual General Meeting (AGM) since going public, will be streamed live from the company’s head office at MTN House, Independence Avenue. The meeting will enable shareholders to discuss the audited financial statements together with the reports of the Directors and Auditors, appoint and fix remuneration of auditors and approve the payment of directors fee for the year ended 31st December 2020. The final dividend for the year ended 31st December 2020 as recommended by the directors will be reviewed and approved by shareholders. There will also be the re-election and appointment of retiring and new Directors of the company, respectively. Shareholders will also be expected to authorize the amendment of the Constitution of the company to increase the maximum number of directors from ten (10) to twelve (12). Shareholders with smart devices can participate in the virtual meeting via www.mtnghagm.com from 11:00am whilst shareholders who do not have smart devices may participate in the AGM by following these steps; (i) dialing +233244300025; (ii) entering the access code 8000; and (iii) entering the conference pin number 056789. Invitations to the meeting have been sent to all shareholders via sms and emails with their unique token numbers. Registration for the AGM will start at 8:00am, however the AGM will commence at 11am. A shareholder may appoint a proxy to attend virtually and vote on their behalf. Such a proxy need not be a shareholder of the company. A copy of the Proxy Form may be downloaded from www.mtnghagm.com completed, signed and sent via email only to info@csd.com.gh. In order for shareholders to review the 2020 audited financial statements before the AGM, a copy has been uploaded online and can be found in the Annual Report Brochure section of the AGM portal (www.mtnghagm.com). Voting during the AGM will be done electronically via the portal or by dialing USSD code *899*0# for non-smart phone users. Furthermore, shareholders who do not submit a proxy prior to the meeting, may vote using their unique token number. Scancom PLC (MTN Ghana) held its first AGM in May 2019 after it listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) on 5 September 2018. It remains the company with the largest number of Ghanaian shareholders following its Initial Public Offering (IPO) which raised GHS 1,146,589,464.75 from 128,152 applicants. The IPO of MTN Ghana made history as the largest primary share offer in the history of the GSE. Most importantly, it enabled many Ghanaians to own shares in one of Ghana’s largest, most visible and well-respected companies. For more information on the MTN Virtual AGM, shareholders may contact info@csd.com.gh or call 0545823198,0545822865 or 0545822920. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
BoG encourages repatriation of export funds to strengthen national reserve
The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has encouraged exporters to remain committed to the national regulation that required the repatriation of export proceeds for the development of the country. Speaking at an Exporter’s forum in Accra, Eric Kwaku Hammond, the assistant director of the banking department, BoG, said despite the existence of the Foreign Exchange Act, 2006 (Act 725) and other legislation, Ghana was still losing billions of dollars because some exporters failed to repatriate their export proceeds as required by the law. “Unfortunately, the law does not grant the BoG the power to prosecute defaulters (those who fail to repatriate these funds), so the Bank only refer them to the appropriate authorities for redress,” he said. Hammond said repatriating export proceeds into the country was very crucial for building a strong national currency reserve and stabilising the Ghana cedi to become resilient to other foreign currencies, thereby ensuring macro-economic stability. “We need to build our export currency reserves to get enough money to pay for our exports. We need surplus resources,” he said. The forum, which was organised by the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, brought together exporters, transport companies and regulatory agencies, including the Bank of Ghana, Ghana Standards Authority and the National Insurance Commission. It was to discuss issues about their operations and also dialogue on how best to address the challenges faced in successfully transporting products to destination countries. Hammond said due to the important role that such export funding played in enhancing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country, the Letters of Commitment (LOC), which was a simple word-based Information Technology (IT) infrastructure, was introduced in 2016 by the BoG, to guide exporters in the processes of repatriating their proceeds. He explained that although exporters had at least 60 days after the sale of their products to repatriate funding after which the system would block the account of an exporter, the BoG often allowed some flexibility in enforcing the regulation. Hammond encouraged all exporters to contact Ghana Link Limited, which hosted the platform, to apply for enlistment. Dr Charles Kuranchie, the chief scientific officer of the Standard Directorate, Ghana Standard Authority (GSA), educated exporters on the need to ensure the standard and quality packaging for their export products. He cautioned that there could be negative consequences to the quality of products if they compromised on quality packaging leading to losses of investments. Dr Kuranchie advised exporters to select packages based on considerations, including the weight and type of product, shelf life, as well as temperature, and also ensure proper labeling to guide handlers in taking caution. Teye Kitcher, AfCFTA, spoke about the pursuant of the Single Africa Transport Market (SATM), aimed at connecting the continent to other markets globally, through an unhindered transporting system, eliminating what pertained currently, where airline operations were limited to some countries. He gave some of the benefits of the SATM as opened connectivity of airlines from and to countries globally, reduction in taxes, reduced airline fares and enhanced services due to competition, creation of free-market trading, enhanced tourism, employment opportunities and economic development. Charlse Ansong Dankyi, the senior manager, supervision department at the National Insurance Commission (NIC), underscored the importance of insuring goods in transit to safeguard investment against accidents. The exporters during a panel discussion complained about the LOC impeding their swift operations and cited other challenges such as getting cargo transport for their products and the high cost of transportation, which must be reduced. The panelists encouraged the tightening of partnership and collaboration with the various institutions to help address all concerns of exporters and other systemic challenges for effective operations. Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
GRA locks up Grid Petroleum and Sonnidom Ltd for tax default
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has locked up the offices of Grid Petroleum Ghana Limited and Sonnidom Petroleum Limited for defaulting in petroleum taxes and levies. Grid Petroleum Ghana Limited owed the GRA to the tune of GhC1.25 million, while Sonnidom Petroleum Limited is indebted to the Authority an amount of Ghc862,702.13. Nathaniel Okai Tetteh, the chief revenue officer, debt management, compliance and enforcement unit of GRA, made this known in an interview with the media after a special exercise christened: “VAT Distress Action”. The exercise saw unannounced visits to the companies to collect outstanding debts from recalcitrant taxpayers of the Authority. He said the exercise was undertaken after a failed discussions and negotiations with the companies to pay their outstanding taxes to the Authority. Tetteh said the locked-up companies have 10 days to visit the GRA head office and settle their debts to avoid further actions like auctioning their assets. He said GRA would come after companies like Santol Limited, Life Petroleum, Delma Company Limited and Petra Energy that owed the Authority a huge sum of money. He said the exercise was to enforce tax compliance and improve the Authority’s revenue generation. The exercise also forms part of GRA’s comprehensive national tax campaign to encourage more Ghanaians to honour their tax obligations to enable the government to meet its domestic revenue targets, increase social intervention policies and accelerate development across the country. The GRA, in September 2019, launched a task force dubbed: “Operation Collect, Name and Shame,” aimed at collecting overdue taxes and the names of recalcitrant businesses were published in the media and asked to settle their debts. GNA Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
Converting NIB, adb to DBG would’ve been ‘very costly’ – Ofori-Atta
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has explained that the government decided to set up the Development Bank Ghana (DBG) from the scratch rather than converting one of the state-owned commercials banks such as National Investment Bank (NIB) and the Agricultural Development Bank (adb) for that purpose because it would have been too costly going for the latter option. DBG is an integral feature of the GH¢100-billion Ghana Cares ‘Obaatampa’ Project, which is seeing to the revitalisation of the Ghanaian economy following the onset of COVID-19. The Ministry of Finance and the European Investment Bank (EIB) recently signed an agreement for the provision of a €170-million facility for the establishment of DBG. This signing event took place on Wednesday, 19 May 2021, when President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo held a meeting with the President of EIB, Dr Werner Hoyer, as part of his official visit to Belgium. The €170-million facility, according Dr Hoyer, is the largest facility provided by EIB for the establishment of a development bank in Africa or for any other project, for that matter, on the continent. Speaking at the signing ceremony, President Akufo-Addo noted that “the Development Bank Ghana is going to play a very important part in the rapid economic transformation of Ghana, following the onset of COVID-19.” According to him, “we want to restructure the economy, and move it from being a mere producer and exporter of raw materials, to one that places much greater emphasis on value addition activities. We see this Bank (DBG) as one that will play a pivotal role in this”. Dr Hoyer, for his part, was confident that the establishment of DBG will help unlock opportunities for growth in Ghana, as well assist in the rapid recovery of the Ghanaian economy from the ravages of COVID-19. He noted that the establishment of the Bank is in line with the objectives of the European Union, and will help develop Ghana’s private sector, agri-business, manufacturing and ICT initiatives. While describing the decision to establish DBG as “a wise one”, the EIB President added that the bank sees the partnership with Ghana as a fruitful one, indicating that the EIB will follow keenly the development and workings of DBG in Ghana. Some critics, however, raised issues about the move to set up a new bank after the government, through the Bank of Ghana, collapsed some nine local banks in the financial sector clean-up exercise during President Akufo-Addo’s first term of office. One of those critics is A Plus, who questioned why the Akufo-Addo administration spent more than GHS21 billion “to collapse banks that needed about GHS9 billion to survive” but now “borrowing 170 million euros to establish a new national bank when you already have NIB which is struggling; adb which is struggling”, as well as GCB Bank and CBG. “Ghana beyond aid but you are borrowing money to start a national bank”, A Plus observed. Addressing such criticisms at a press conference on Thursday, 20 May 2021, Mr Ofori-Atta said: “Work on the DBG started in 2018 with a task force of industry experts established by the government to recommend the best approach to establish a modern and dynamic development bank”. Based on the recommendation of the task force, he said the government decided to set up DBG “as a new non-deposit-taking-wholesale-bank under the Companies Act”. DBG, as a wholesale and non-deposit taking bank, Mr Ofori-Atta added, “requires no branch network and minimal staff”. “It will, therefore, be very costly – financially and in terms of closure of branches and employment loss – to try to convert adb or NIB into a viable modern development bank”, he noted. “The advantage we foresee of a greenfield approach is that one gets to start from a clean slate, with no legacy financial, governance and other issues. This allows us to focus on the future and move straight into setting up DBG equipped with modern and sound design principles”, Mr Ofori-Atta explained. According to him, the greenfield approach also has the potential to attract more private and international institutional capital “as we have witnessed with EIB’s €170 million facility”. “It also the government’s plan to attract other shareholders, both domestic and international, so as to increase DBG’s capital base and also reduce the government’s share over time”, he added. Read the Finance Minister’s full statement below: A New Engine for Ghana’s Economic Transformation Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen of the media, senior staff of the Ministry. It is a pleasure to hold a press conference today on the back of the President of the Republic, Nana Akufo-Addo signing of a €170m loan agreement with the European Investment Bank in Brussels yesterday. As it was captured, the European Investment Bank, among other international development institutions, are supporting our effort to establish a new development finance institution here in Accra, the Development Bank Ghana (DBG). DBG is a key pillar in our efforts to quickly recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and quickly resume our economic transformation path as articulated in the Ghana CARES/Obantanpa Programme. It is intended to be a model institution that supports the financial system to play its role in supporting the private sector to expand and create jobs. DBG will help address two important constraints in our financial system, namely the lack of long-term funding, and the lack of adequate funding to the productive sectors of the economy. Currently, less than 15% of loans given out by banks are for 5 years or longer, making investment in long gestation project very difficult for our private sector. The agriculture and manufacturing sectors receive around 4% and 8%, respectively, of banks loans compared to their shares in GDP and employment and potential for driving economic transformation. Primary Focus Areas of DBG will be: Agribusiness, with a focus on off-farm value-chain activities Manufacturing ICT, software, and allied services, including Business-Process Outsourcing, and Tourism Boosting homeownership through affordable and longer tenure Mortgage Finance DBG is not similar to the existing commercial banks that we have
MTN Group’s President Ralph Mupita pays courtesy visit to the GSE
The Group President and CEO of MTN, Ralph Mupita has saluted the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) for its role in the ‘Ghana Cares’ national socio-economic priorities that is going to be critical for Ghana’s development going forward. “We are encouraged by the progress we have seen in the development and deepening of the capital markets in Ghana”, Mr Mupita said. He noted that “capital formation and capital markets are critical in economic development of countries. We salute the ‘Ghana Cares’ national socio-economic priorities that is going to be critical to Ghana’s development going forward”. He made the remarks on Tuesday 18 May 2021 when he visited the GSE to pay a courtesy call on the Managing Director, Mr. Ekow Afedzi, as part of a three-day working visit to one of MTN Group’s key markets. He also used the opportunity to get a first-hand account of the performance of Scancom Plc (MTN Ghana) shares since the Initial Public Offer (IPO) in 2018. Mr. Mupita was grateful for the support MTN Ghana had received since its listing on the bourse. “On behalf of the MTN Group we would like to thank the GSE for the support we have received since listing in September 2018”, he said. MTN Ghana’s performance on the Ghana Stock Exchange in 2021 has been nothing short of excellence, accounting for 86% and 77% of total volume and value traded on the Ghana Stock Exchange as at 18 May 2021. The company’s share price has gained 49 pesewas this year representing a year to date return of 76.6%. The MD of the GSE, Mr. Ekow Afedzi applauded MTN Ghana’s stellar performance. He commended the company for being the most liquid and driver of liquidity on the market. MTN Ghana listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange in 2018 and is the third largest company by market capitalization. This represents about 23% of the total market capitalization of the listings on the Ghana Stock Exchange. The MTN Group CEO was accompanied on his visit to the GSE by the VP for MTN WECA Region, Mr Ebenezer Asante, Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Mr Sam Addo representing Selorm Adadevoh Chief Executive Officer, and the Chief Corporate Services Officer, Mr Samuel Koranteng. About MTN Ghana MTN Ghana is the market leader in the increasingly competitive mobile telecommunications industry in Ghana, offering subscribers a range of exciting options under Pay Monthly and Pay as You Go Services and Mobile Financial Services. The company has committed itself to delivering reliable and innovative services that provide value for subscribers in Ghana’s telecommunications market. Since its entry into Ghana in 2006, MTN has continuously invested in expanding and modernizing its network in order to offer superior services to a broad expanse of the nation. Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
SIM re-registration: ‘Ill-informed Bawumia’ using wrong approach to tackle e-money fraud — Haruna Iddrisu
Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu, has lashed out at the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia over his recent comments about SIM card re-registration in Ghana. Dr. Bawumia, while speaking at the 5th Ghana CEO Summit in Accra, said in June 2021, all mobile phone users in the country would be expected to re-register their SIM cards or risk having their phone numbers deactivated. According to Haruna Iddrisu, undertaking a SIM re-registration exercise will not solve the issue of Mobile Money fraud as expected by Dr. Bawumia. He said the Vice President is “ill-informed, inept and highly naive,” with that assumption. “The solution to the challenges of fraud within the electronic money ecosystem goes beyond SIM registration,” he said. “We hold the view that the mandatory re-registration of SIMS provides no substantial benefit in the fight against electronic money fraud, and will face practical challenges such as inbound travellers who require a SIM card without a national ID,” he added. Haruna Iddrisu, in explaining why he believes the plan as announced by Dr. Bawumia is impracticable, said the suggestion that only the Ghana card would be accepted as an identification document for the exercise will mean that many Ghanaians will be left out since they do not have the card, while others who registered for the card are yet to receive them. “The number of issued cards is only a pale shadow of the eligible population. The reality is that there have been only 17 million registrations done of the Ghana Card. This represents 55% of our population. An even smaller proportion of the population has actually received their cards. It needs no saying therefore, that there are practical difficulties associated with the card as it is facing systemic and operational difficulties in its rollout,” Haruna Iddrisu said. Again, he argued that attacks on mobile money vendors are more of a bigger challenge that needs to be addressed and that cannot be tackled by re-registration of SIM. He also made a case about the poor timing of the exercise especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that the government needs to be transparent and ensure full disclosure if the exercise is expected to be undertaken. “If the Vice President really desires simple solutions, he should consider instructing the BoG and the NCA to set key performance indicators for the mobile network operators (MNPs) about electronic money fraud and with consequences for breaches.” “The Vice President should urge subtly or overtly the MNOs to invest – proportionate to market share in advanced cybersecurity systems including additional personnel. These have been known to achieve monumental success stories in other jurisdictions with similar ecosystems.” Haruna Iddrisu expressed his conviction that a re-registration exercise will achieve very little and impose unnecessary burden on the citizenry. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
ECG thanked all stakeholders for their cooperation, as they announced end of dumsor in Accra
The Electricity Company of Ghana thanked stakeholders in an announcement to end an eight-day power interruption in parts of Accra. Earlier, the company announced the need to interrupt the power supply for eight (8) days from Monday, May 10 to Monday, May 17, to allow the tie-in of the newly constructed Pokuase Bulk Supply Point (BSP) to GRIDCo’s 330kV transmission line. In a statement Tuesday the company said” the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) wishes to inform the general public especially the affected customers that the programme has ended today Tuesday, 18th May 2021 at 6.00 am.” The statement went on “this project forms part of efforts to improve power supply reliability and system voltages.” “ECG wishes to thank all stakeholders for their cooperation during the exercise. Other needed interruptions in power supply to enable contractors to complete the next project, the Kasoa Bulk Supply Point (BSP), will be communicated in due course,” it ended. Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
UER: CSO in Agriculture stakeholders engagement on women access to arable lands and productive resources
The Upper East Civil Society Organizations in Agriculture platform have called on traditional authorities working closely with landowners to focus attention in facilitating women’s access to arable lands and productive resources as a sustainable way of contributing to food security in the Region. They further called on chiefs and queen mothers to explore opportunities through the traditional council to develop local level bye-laws that promote inclusive land tenure arrangements which prioritize women’s access to land and other productive resources. These were contained in a communique signed by the chairman of the Regional CSO in Agriculture after a Regional stakeholders engagement in Bolgatanga on women’s access to Arable lands and productive resources. The stakeholders were drawn from traditional authorities, civil society organizations, the Regional Coordinating Council, women in Agriculture platform and the media. The statement encouraged women to mobilize into groups in the form of the Women in Agriculture platform to have a bargaining power to negotiate for access to land with landlords and traditional authorities. While calling for national-level institutional reforms to allow women access to land as their human rights, the statement also appealed to the Regional House of chiefs to hold a discussion to address outmoded cultural practices that denies women access to arable lands. It noted that access to arable lands should go alongside with reliable water supply to facilitate irrigation of fields during the dry season. The statement concluded with a call for women’s access to farmlands as one of the indicators for accessing District Assemblies qualification for the District Performance Assessment Tool D-PAT as well as national and regional recognition and awards for traditional authorities. Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
UER: plastic is not waste until it is wasted- GAYO
The project officer of Green African Youth Organization Betty Osei Bonsu has encouraged the general public to sort out plastic containers and rubbers from the general garbage and rather sell them to industries that recycle them to get a little income. She indicated that plastics are not waste until it is wasted adding that we should see plastics as a resource that can be recycled on plastic chairs and tables. Speaking to Apexnewsgh.com correspondent Prosper Adaakai in an interview on the menace of plastic waste in the environment, the Environmental Consultant described as hazardous the burning of plastics as a way of disposing them off or providing flame for charcoal or wood fuel. Ms. Osei Bonsu revealed that the burning emits carbon dioxide that contributes to greenhouse effects that destroy the ozone layer cause climate change and pose health disorders including respiratory diseases and cancer. She further indicated that plastics can choke gutters, rivers, and because water cannot penetrate through them, it caused water to be stagnant and overflow its banks causing flooding that wreaks havoc to lives and properties. The Project Officer advised against collecting a lot of plastic rubbers when buying from the market but rather use a single reusable bag when going on shopping. Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
Stop burning our equipment or we’ll go on 3-day demo – Small-scale miners
The Small-Scale Miners Association has threatened a three-day nationwide ant-government demonstration if the authorities at the helm of the illegal small-scale mining activities (galamsey) do not stop burning their equipment. At a press conference at Ntaferewaso in the Twifo-Atti Morkwa District of the Central Region, the group’s Director of Communication, Mr Abdul Razak Alhassan, said “as far as we know, the military was deployed to specific river bodies but we are seeing a situation where they veer into communities with licensed small-scale miners and end up burning their equipment”. “Some of the communities are Asamoakorom and Awusem, both in Twifo Praso District of the Central Region”, he said. The group is demanding clarity on the anti-galamsey orders of the President. “We need clarifications on the President’s directive to the military”, Mr Alhassan said. According to him, “we do not understand why the government made a U-turn on the issues raised at the meeting held at the Accra International Conference Centre.” “We never discussed anything about involving the military in clearing people operating with legally-acquired licences”, the group decried. The group said if their concerns are not addressed in a week, they would hit the streets. “We are giving the government seven days to address these concerns”, he said. “If nothing is heard from them, we will embark on a three-day nationwide demonstration”, Mr Alhassan threatened. A few days ago, OccupyGhana said it found it shocking that the government recently set some seized galamsey equipment on fire. In a statement, the civil society group said it is “shocked to see pictures and films in which equipment allegedly being used in galamsey operations and apparently seized by security officials, have been set on fire”. “While these dramatic optics might have the support of some, we think that it is a brazen illegality that will only exacerbate the situation and not help in the fight against galamsey”, the statement noted. The anti-galamsey soldiers deployed by President Nana Akufo-Addo to stem the tide of illegal small-scale mining, destroyed some 127 changfans, nine excavators and a fuel pump during their recent operations. The ‘operation halt’ soldiers also arrested two Chinese galamseyers. Speaking about the operation, Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul told journalists at a press conference on Friday, 30 April 2021 that: “It is noted that since the operation commenced on Wednesday, 28 April 2021 to Thursday, 29 April 29 2021, the troops have destroyed a good deal of equipment including nine excavators, 127 changfans”. “Furthermore, the following items have been seized and would be destroyed except items that will be used as exhibits in the court for prosecution: 8 by 24 plate batteries, one pump action gun case, a generator, a Huawei phone, a chainsaw machine, eight raincoats, fuel filters, non-citizen Ghana cards, two drilling equipment and two boots.” “These items would be destroyed except what the police deem necessary for their work for prosecution, otherwise everything will be destroyed”, he said. He said: “This operation will be conducted on all major river and forest reserves in all galamsey endemic regions throughout the country to rip them of illegal mining activities.” “There will be aerial patrols at places where GAF has also swept past. Armed men would be authorised to take immediate action on anyone who returns to these river bodies to engage in galamsey activities.” Read OccupyGhana’s full statement below: 4TH MAY 2021 OCCUPYGHANA® PRESS STATEMENT GOVERNMENT, APPLY THE LAW ON ILLEGAL MINING! OccupyGhana® is shocked to see pictures and films in which equipment allegedly being used in galamsey operations and apparently seized by security officials, have been set on fire. While these dramatic optics might have the support of some, we think that it is a brazen illegality that will only exacerbate the situation and not help in the fight against galamsey. The government’s epileptic and faltering fight [against] galamsey gives the impression that it is unwilling to follow and apply the law. When Aisha Huang was first arrested, she was charged with some ludicrous, risible and insignificant administrative breaches of immigration regulations. It took a protest and a petition by OccupyGhana® on 16th May 2017 for her to be charged with the proper offences under the Minerals and Mining Act, which, as we will show, provides for serious punishment for illegal mining. We believe that her quiet and hurried deportation by the government was to avoid subjecting her to the full rigours of the law. We insist that that unfortunate truncation of the judicial process sounded the death knell to the galamsey fight. But the law in the Minerals and Mining Act is clear. There is a fine and imprisonment between 15 and 25 years for each of the following crimes: buying or selling minerals without a licence or authority; mining in breach of the law; abetting any breach of the mining law; contracting a non-Ghanaian to provide mining support services; abetting the breach of the mining laws by a foreigner; fabricating or manufacturing floating platforms or other equipment to be used for mining in our water bodies; and providing an excavator for an illegal mining operation. The Act further provides that a non-Ghanaian who illegally mines or abets illegal mining attracts a large fine and imprisonment between 20 and 25 years, and shall be deported AFTER serving the sentence. This is what should have been applied to Aisha Huang. Also, and of particular importance to us, is the legal provision that equipment used in any of these offences is required to be first seized and kept in police custody. Then, when the person using the equipment for the illegal mining activity is convicted, the court will order the forfeiture of the equipment the state. Then the Minister has 60 days within which to allocate the equipment to a state institution. There is absolutely no legal room for simply torching the equipment. It is illegal and must stop forthwith. We think that all the efforts to end illegal mining will not achieve anything until we resolve to simply enforce the law. If the security