Chamber Of Commerce Commends Ernest Chemists Limited

The Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry has lauded the achievements of Ernest Chemists Limited, a local pharmaceutical company.

It commended the company for its ability to surmount the challenges in Ghana's private sector to become the largest pharmaceutical company in Ghana.

Nana Appiagyei Dankawoso I, President of the GNCCI, pledged the Chambers commitment to support the company to achieve its goal of becoming one of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies in Africa.

He made the statements when the GNCCI paid a working visit to the manufacturing plant of Ernest Chemists, as well as the site of its new ultra-modern plant, which is under construction at Klagon.

The monthly visits are part of the Chambers initiative to encourage local businesses that are performing well, and highlight their achievements in the Ghanaian media, in order to inspire the youth, as well as identify areas where the chamber could lobby government for support for the private sector.

He noted that from a sole proprietorship, retailing imported drugs; Ernest Chemists had grown tremendously, employing about 310 people, a figure, which will increase by about 500 after the completion of its new manufacturing plant.

'I am so much enthused and impressed about the kind of work that is going here,' he said and pledged the Chamber's support for the company as well as others in the private sector, in order to boost employment in the country.

Dr Ernest Bediako Sampong, Chief Executive Officer of Ernest Chemists Limited, in an interview with the GNA, said the journey to this point, as an entrepreneur, had not been an easy one, but was filled frustrations and challenges.

He cited the acquisition of land for the company's new site, for which the company had to go to court for eight years, following the sale of the land to a second person by the chief of the area, after Ernest Chemists had bought it from the Tema Development Corporation (TDC).

'But I didn't give up, God has been on our side and we have our land back. It's been a bit difficult; very frustrating, but I'm happy that we have come this far as a Ghanaian,' he added.

He also noted that the support structures for entrepreneurs were not fully in place, with lack of resources, particularly, capital and human resources being major ones. He bemoaned the shift in focus of polytechnics from technically skills training to more arts-based courses saying, there was the need for technically skilled human resource such as chemists, engineers, and other technicians.

Mr Sampong emphasised that it was possible for Ghanaians to succeed in business ventures in the country if they believed in themselves, adding that, the entrepreneurship landscape in Ghana was currently developing, with more people going into entrepreneurship.

He said there was, however, the need for entrepreneurial development to be taught at the senior high school level in Ghana to equip the youth with skills they can use to create employment for themselves and others, so they do not rely solely on government.

Ernest Chemists' new facility of about 11,000 square metres, is an European Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) factory, which once finished, will allow the company to meet international standards for drug production, with a 3000 square metre fully automated warehouse.

Mr Mark Owiredu, General Manager-Manufacturing, the completion of the facility will also boost product quality of local pharmaceutical products as well as increase contract-production; where other International pharmaceutical companies, could place orders for the production of their own formulas at the facility.

He said the company already had such requests from some major companies and will be able to meet that need when the facility comes into use.