Mr. Casely Hayford Ababio, the President of Brong-Ahafo Regional branch of Ghana Traditional Caterers Association, has appealed to the government to enact laws and legislation that would regulate the activities of traditional caterers.
He said there was no Legislative Instrument (LI) that would give the green light to traditional caterers who would want to start operating their own businesses having received the required training.
Mr Ababio said this had created the situation where unlicensed and unauthorized operators engaged in selling all kinds of food to consumers without observing and strictly adhering to simple principles of hygiene or use of wholesome ingredients.
He was speaking at an education programme organised by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in collaboration with the National Traditional Caterers Association in Sunyani.
The programme was to sensitize caterers on food hygiene, sanitation, business management and tax obligation.
"The association is advocating and negotiating with government to formulate these laws. We believe when this is done traditional caterers would have the confidence to be able to begin private businesses."
Mr Ababio said the association was talking with the Ghana Tourist Board to issue licenses to caterers who wish to commence their businesses after receiving training from a licensed caterer.
In an address read for him Mr. Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, said statistics showed that there were more than 600 traditional caterers(both registered and unregistered) in the region, the number growing at an average rate of about three to four per cent annually in the last four years.
He said it is anticipated that in the next 10 years, the sector would have grown to accommodate more than 2,000 operators.
be on the wrong side of the environmental regulations".
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo said the government would not stifle the work of traditional caterers and vendors but would ensure that the requisite regulations and guidelines were complied with.