Businesses Urged to Build Friendly Relationship With Host Communities

By David Kodjo

Akosombo — The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Eric Kwakye Darfour has advised businesses to build friendly relationship with their host communities, to ensure peace and development.

He said this on Monday when he paid a working visit to Dedeso Holding Incorporated (DHI), a timber harvesting and processing company of submerged trees on the Akosombo Volta Lake.

The minister was accompanied by three Municipal and District Chief Executives of Asuogyaman, Lower and Upper Manya Krobo.

Mr Darfour said government was focused on creating the required environment for the establishment of businesses towards the creation of sustainable employment for the country's teeming graduates.

He expressed satisfaction with the work of the company, but advised the management of the company to work with the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council.

The company's exclusion concession is the world largest, covering 350,000h.a with 14 million meter cube of recoverable hardwood, with an estimated value of US$3 billion dollars.

The visit followed a recent demonstration by some fisher folds along the Volta Lake at Sedom and Akateng, accusing the company of spotting the hardwoods which was a hiding place for pregnant fishes in the river.

It was also to enable the minister to study the company's operations, and inspect all legal documents.

The Special Advisor of the company, Mr Nayon Bilijo, said the concession was awarded to the then Canadian owned CSRD, in 2010, and started operations in 2012.

He said owning to the misunderstanding and resistance from the local communities, operations were suspended until the DHI restored relationship with the community and re-started operations in March, 2018.

Mr Biliio said trees that have been in the Volta Lake for more than 56 years were being harvested by a sub-company called Clark, processed in Kete krachi and exported, whiles some were used for charcoal.

He said boreholes have been provided for some communities as part of the company's corporate social responsibility.

Mr Biliio also assured that the company would employ more community members to help improve the standard of living.

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