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The Head of Migration Information Bureau of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Assistant Comptroller of Immigration (ACOI), Mrs Belinda A.S. Anim, has advised parents to be responsible towards the upkeep of their children. She said that was necessary to reduce child trafficking across the country, indicating that the inability of some parents to provide proper care to their children had forced them to sell their children to some individuals for meagre amounts of money. According to her, child trafficking had gained roots in all parts of the country since some parents, due to ignorance and poverty, released their children to traffickers for money. Recruitment She stated that the traffickers recruited the children, transported them to far places and exploited them by engaging them in jobs that often affected their health, and also exposed them to various forms of abuse. Mrs Anim gave the advice when she addressed a project launched by the Winneba Municipal Command of the GIS to reduce child trafficking in the Effutu Municipality. It was on the theme: �Combating the trafficking of children, child labour and exploitation in Effutu Municipality". She stated that the phenomenon was not predominant only in the Effutu area, but also in other parts of the country, and called on all stakeholders to help reduce child trafficking to the barest minimum. She mentioned that some of the trafficked children were forced to engage in prostitution, child labour, slavery and servitude, while other were killed for alleged ritual purposes. Human Trafficking Act She explained that the Human Trafficking Act (Act 694) passed in 2005 to protect children against child trafficking was in force and warned that those who contravened the act could face at least a five-year jail term. Mrs Anim therefore called on all stakeholders to support the GIS in combating child trafficking menace so that children would be provided proper and balanced development. The Effutu Municipal Chief Executive, Mr John Nii Ephraim, said child trafficking was prevalent in the area, especially among the fisher folks, and advised the participants to educate members in their various communities on the issue. Chief of Efutu The Omanhen of Effutu Traditional Area, Neenyi Ghartey VII, called on government to come out with policies and programmes that would improve the livelihoods of parents to enable them to take proper care of their children. He maintained that no matter their circumstances, parents should strive to provide the best of care to their children to enable them to have a prosperous future. GIS Municipal Commander Earlier, the Winneba Municipal Commander of the GIS, Deputy Superintendent of Immigration (DSI), Mrs M.L. Amo-Richmond, mentioned that her outfit decided to embark on the project after conducting a survey on child trafficking in communities such as Sankor, Fetteh, Dwoma, Woarabeba, Atekyedo, Penkye and Ponkorekyire. She said the survey showed that people along the coast offered their children as young as three years for labour to work in Yeji, Kpando and Kete Krachi, for a fee ranging between GH�50 and GH�200. She added that continuous sensitisation, education and awareness creation by all stakeholders would go a long way to reduce the menace in the area.