The National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCSALW) has bemoaned the current legal document bordering on the manufacture of small arms in the country.
According to the commission, this is a major setback in its quest to fight the proliferation of arms.
Following the recent retrieval of ammunition and weapons from some persons, for their alleged involvement in a plot to destabilize the country, calls have intensified for proper regulation of production of small arms.
Speaking to Citi News, a Senior Programmes Officer at the commission, Mr. Gyebi Asante stressed that the Arms and Ammunition Act had a lot of gaps in it.
“The law as it is now doesn’t have a proper structure in place so, it has to be reviewed to have all the right structures. Even though it says that if you want to manufacture arms, apply to the Interior Minister, there are no structures, criteria, qualifications and specifications in the law. It is vague,” he said.
He also called on government to put in place measures for blacksmiths or local artisans to produce ammunitions since they do not have the licences to do so, per the law.
“We are advocating that our blacksmiths who already have the skills and the advantage be allowed to manufacture ammunition. They are manufacturing them anyway. So, why are we playing the ostrich? Why don’t we legalise it and let them manufacture and not pay tax. They can even export them and sell some to our security agencies and save some hard currency,” he added.