Some residents of Akwatia in Denkyembuor District of the Eastern Region have called on the Government to as a matter of urgency get foreign investors to take over the defunct Great Consolidated Diamond Company (GCD) to revive it or covert the infrastructural facilities turned white elephant to a Nursing or teacher training college.
According to the residents, the facilities at GCD should not be a waste.
Speaking on the defunct GCD, Isaac Amable pleaded with the government to look for investors and revive the company “because its current situation has resulted in an increased unemployment in the Akwatia vicinity”.
A popular Gold and diamond Dealer in Akwatia Isaac Anu believes only foreign investors can revive GCD.
“The collapse of GCD has affected Akwatia; we need foreign investors to take over the company. It is only foreign investors who can help. The local investor does not have the financial and technical capacity to help GCD work again”.
Some of the youths who are currently jobless re-lived moments the company greatly contributed to wealth creation in the Akwatia district with an appeal to the government to hasten the process of securing an investor to revive the company.
They also proposed to the government to convert the numerous infrastructures at GCD to a college or university to benefit the community if the government is still struggling to get investors.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the Ghana Diamond winners Association Isaac Amable has appealed to the government to reduce the 3% rolling tax on the sale of diamonds to at most 1% to help save the dying business.
He said the struggling diamond industry is already burdened with taxes throwing many out of business.
He indicated that the 3% rolling tax placed on every single diamond sold to Precious Minerals Marketing Company Limited (PMMC) is having a negative toll on the already collapsing industry.
He added that the members are already paying taxes on the sales of the diamonds to the government through the 2.25% tax the buyers pay to the government.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
