Ghana Risks Losing U.S. Aid Over Modern Slavery
11 August 2016 Kumasi:
The Government of United State of America (USA) has charged Ghana to end modern day slavery immediately or face the consequences of her lackadaisical attitude towards the fight against the crime.
This may include cutting off military assistance to Ghana and also reduce aid support amounting over $140 million per year.
Per its ratings, Ghana is classified as a Tier 2 Watch List country, meaning that the government does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in persons and also failed to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat forced labour, child labour and sex trafficking of children and adults in the past year.
The White House, mincing no words warned President Mahama that: "Without significant progress in combating trafficking in persons, Ghana risks losing U.S. support for programs in agriculture, education, security, governance, health and economic growth".
In a statement released from the office of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry amidst the 2016 Trafficking in Persons Report by the US government, which was published at the Embassy of United State in Accra, it said: " for the second year in a row, Ghana is classified as a Tier 2 Watch List country, meaning that the government does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in persons and failed to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe forms of trafficking in the past year".
The United States currently provides more than $140 million per year in development aid to Ghana ". Commenting on the report, U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, Robert Jackson said: "The Trafficking in Persons report recognizes the trafficking problems we all know exist in Ghana--forced labour, child labour and sex trafficking of children and adults. The government of Ghana must increase its anti-trafficking efforts, for the immediate benefit of Ghanaian trafficking victims and the long-term benefit of all Ghanaians”.
Ghana must increase the resources it invests in anti-trafficking enforcement and protection activities and track and report the results of its efforts.
This includes investigating trafficking cases; prosecuting and convicting traffickers; and providing assistance, protection and care for adult and child victims of trafficking.
"The TIP Report recognizes that the Ghanaian government investigated and prosecuted some trafficking and trafficking-related crimes, including allegedly fraudulent labour recruiters and suspected child traffickers; conducted public awareness activities aimed at informing the public about the risks of human trafficking; and provided funding to support two meetings of the Human Trafficking Management Board.
"However, key factors in Ghana's Tier 2 Watch List ranking include no demonstrable increase in prosecution efforts or assistance to victims; zero trafficking convictions in 2015; a decrease in the number of victims identified in the past year; inadequate funding and training for law enforcement and prosecutors; inadequate funding for victim protection and support services; insufficiently stringent penalties for trafficking; and reports of increased of corruption and bribery in the judicial system, which hindered anti-trafficking measures" the American Ambassador to Ghana told the Flagstaff House.
On the way forward the TIP report provided specific recommendations to further the government of Ghana's anti-trafficking efforts over the next year. These recommendations include: Increase funding, support for police and immigration service efforts to investigate, and police and attorney general prosecutors to prosecute trafficking offenses--especially internal labour and Sex trafficking of children and convict and punish trafficking offenders.
It called on the Mahama-led administration to develop and implement systematic methods of collecting and reporting data on investigations, prosecutions, victims identified, and assistance provided.
"Develop and implement systematic procedures for law enforcement, social welfare personnel, and labour inspectors to proactively identify trafficking victims among vulnerable populations -such as women in prostitution, migrant workers, and children working in agriculture, mining, fishing, and pottering and refer them to protective services.
