The Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr Alan Kyeramaten has entreated the newly inaugurated board of the Ghana Industrial Holding Corporation (GIHOC) Distilleries to aggressively pursue an export agenda for the corporation.
He said the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the quality of the company’s products, provided opportunity for the company to export to other African countries.
“I know you are always doing your best to get your products outside the borders of this country and with the establishment of the AfCFTA, I have a strong feeling this can become a game changer for GIHOC, because of the quality of your products and the brand appeal of your products,” Mr Kyerematen said this at the inauguration of the reconstituted boards of GIHOC in Accra.
The seven-member board is chaired by Sqn Ldr. Ebenezer Fitzgerald Ebo Bartels (rtd) as the chair with Managing Director, Maxwell Kofi Jumah, Lawyer Annete Ohenewaa Adutwum, Mr Moses Osei-Bonsu, Ms Gifty Asantewaa Ayeh and Mr George Kwame Aboagye as member.
Mr Kyerematen commended the board, management and staff for their hard work and innovation that transformed GIHOC and earned the board another term of service from the President.
“The President found it fitting to appoint almost all of the old board unto the new board together with the management.
“The evidence is clear, if you are looking at improvements in a brand, the brand appeal this company has been able to introduce, the improvement in quality, the improvement in distribution and logistics support of the company, in what I will describe as one of the most competitive industries in Ghana,” the minister, said.
Mr Kyerematen pledged the support of the ministry towards the growth of GIHOC, assuring that they had a friend and advocate in him.
“Going forward they are brighter days ahead of us. You can count on my support and that of the President,” he stated.
The Chairman of the Board, Sgn Ldr Bartels said the company achieved significant growth in spite of the economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Rebranding our products to win public appeal allowed us to make inroads unto gaining a bigger market niche as we added a new product called Akpet,” he said.
“We also acquired a new bottling plant at Akyease in Kumasi and are in the process of acquiring another of such facility at Dodowa. We also made efforts to acquire the almost defunct Aboso Glass factory which by the President’s own fiat and effort has given us access.”
As part of the programme, Mr Kyerematen toured the production plants and other facilities at GIHOC.
BY NANA BENTSI ODURO
