Government to retool Intelligence Agencies - Ofori-Atta

The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta has hinted that government is working to retool the country’s Intelligence Agencies through the deployment of enhanced Intelligence Infrastructure in order to enable the agencies to effectively provide early warning as well as targeted responses to any envisaged threats, such as terrorist attacks.

He said following an assessment of the threat on the Northern border of the country, government has deployed a robust pre-emptive and preventive response along the border.

Mr Ofori-Atta made the remarks when he delivered the Mid-Year fiscal policy review of the budget statement and economic policy of the government in Parliament on Thursday afternoon, July 29, 2021.

He said plans are underway to install state of the art ground and air Integrated Intelligence Infrastructure, upgraded immigration border cabins at the major entry points, and integration communications infrastructure which will be reinforced by heavy military deployment with ground and air support in the short term.

He pointed out that “Terrorist threats and general cross-border security issues are becoming increasingly imminent in view of the continuous terrorist attacks in the Sahel Region and particularly from Mali and Burkina Faso.”

The Finance Minister said there were as many as 5,845 fatalities to terrorist related activities in 2020, a 21 percent increase in the 2019 figure of 4,825 in the West African Sub-Region.