There Is Hope For The Coming Months--Akufo-Addo To Industries

In a bid to promote industries and businesses, the NPP government will continue to create a sound business environment.

This, according to the President Nana Akufo-Addo was the only way businesses and industries could thrive.

Delivering his keynote address at the 7th AGI Ghana Industry and Quality Awards, the President assured that a high budget deficit, erratic power supply coupled with the high cost of doing business among other constraints will not feature in his administration.

“One thing I can assure you is that the days of high public debts, high fiscal deficits, high-interest rates, rapidly depreciating currency, erratic power supply, will not be a feature of my government,” Nana Akufo-Addo assured.

With the 7th AGI Ghana Industry and Quality Awards hinged on the call for heavy industrial growth in the country, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo hinted of the passage of an automobile bill in the coming of three automotive giants to the country who will be establishing their assembling plants in 2019.

“As we anticipate the establishment of assembly plants of Volkswagen, Nissan and Sentara in 2019, a comprehensive automobile industrial policy will be launched to provide clear and consistent guidelines for the automobile sector,” he revealed.

President of the AGI, Dr Yaw Adu Gyamfi, also stated that industries are “anxious to see the impact of some six priority areas” (Agriculture, Industry, Infrastructure, Entrepreneurial Support, Revenue Mobilization and social intervention) that were captured in the 2019 budget on government’s industrialisation agenda.

Lamenting the challenges industries are faced in the country, the AGI President cautioned that job growth could stall and manufacturing volumes grounded if priority is not given the industry and manufacturing sector.

“Our prospects for job creation will improve if local industry experiences sustainable growth to alleviate the unemployment situation. A couple of years back, the once vibrant sectors of manufacturing such as textiles, alumina, vehicle assembly, glass manufacturing and the processing of agricultural products like meat, sugar, tomatoes and citrus processing have all collapsed,” he lamented.

According to him, “industry continues to shrink and we risk losing our industry base if government policies do not address these challenges to revive the industrial sector”.

It is to this end that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the AGI, Seth Twum Akwaboah commended government “for demonstrating a clear commitment to industrial development through its industrial transformation agenda”. According to him, AGI’s commitment to this agenda is unwavering thus the association stays committed to assisting government implement such industrialization policies.

In all, 32 companies were awarded for their various contributions to the economy and society as a whole. This included major award categories and sector awards.

Below is the full list of awards:

MAIN AWARDS

Best Industrial Company – Nestle Ghana Ltd.

Best Company Employer – Olam Ghana Ltd.

Best Corporate Social Responsibility Company – Unilever

National Best Quality – Nestle Ghana Ltd.

SECTOR AWARDS

Beverages – Kasapreko

Food – Fanmilk

Financial Services - Ecobank

Hospitality – Accra City Hotel

Metals and Building products – B5 Plus Ltd

Construction - Upper Quarry Ltd

Pharmaceuticals – MGP Pharmaceuticals

Printing, stationery and packaging – Buck Press Ltd

Rubber and Plastics – Kane-Am Industries

Environment and Sanitation – Sewage Systems Ghana Ltd.

Agribusiness – Wilmar

Constructions – Nexans Kabelmetal LTD.

The AGI Ghana Industry and Quality Awards is an AGI initiative to reward companies and industries in different areas of business performance. The awards ceremony is an annual event marks the climax of the National Industrial Week celebration.

---MyJoyOnline