GOV'T. MUST WAIVE ITS FINANCIAL INTEREST IN JUTE-MANHYIAHENE

-

Kumasi Manhyiahene, Nana Akwasi Prempeh, has appealed to government to waive its financial interest in the divested GIHOC Jute Factory as a form of its assistance towards a successful revival of the company. 

According to Nana Prempeh, government stands to benefit significantly if the jute sacks manufacturing company eventually returns to full scale production, especially in cocoa production. 

Speaking to Ashanti Today in Kumasi, Nana Prempeh noted that the divested state company requires so much capital to bounce back into operation not only to produce sacks for the cocoa production sector, but to create more jobs for the youth to boost the national economy. 

The company is currently in the process of revival, following the divestiture of its ownership from government to Zoomlion Ghana Limited under a new name ‘Jute Mills Ghana Limited’. 

The lease for the original GIHOC Jute Fibre Company is due to expire in July this year for which the new managers are re-negotiating with the Manhyia Palace for its renewal. 

The company finally collapsed in 1991, after which it was put on the Divestiture. Several attempts to revive the company in the past proved unsuccessful until management of Zoomlion Ghana Limited bade for it. 

During the dormant period of the company, the Ghana Cocoa Marketing Board has had to import the jute sacks from neighbouring countries at the expense of the local currency. 

The Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah has already visited the project site to learn at first hand the progress of work to revive it. 

The revived Jute Mill Ghana Limited is expected to resume operations by the end of the first quarter of this year. 

So far, some significant amount of money has gone into refurbishment of the company with the arrival of new machinery very soon. 

Some of the old machines which are still usable will also be fixed with new parts to make them workable again. 

After touring the site of the company, Nana Prempeh blamed the collapse of the original Jute Factory on both the government and the workers for their negative attitudes to duty and maintenance. 

He said the Asantehene is very excited that the factory is being revived, in view of the expected major impact it will have on the economy in terms of job creation and production of the jute sacks for the cocoa industry.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

JUTE FACTORY IS BACK

-
Image
the administrative block under rehabilitation At long last, the much talked about defunct GIHOC Fibre manufacturing Company popularly known as the Jute Factory, is to be back in operations very soon.  Ashanti Today can confirm that work is feverishly ongoing towards the revival of the once golden sacks manufacturing company with the first production expected in the first quarter of next year.  It is a public-private partnership with a wholly Ghanaian company, Jute Mills Ghana Limited being the operator and has already sunk about five million Ghana Cedis to revamp the company.  The Jute Factory is located within the industrial area of Kaase.  It has been on divestiture for about 20 years now with successive governments paying lip-service to revamp it.   The old machinery at main factory to be replaced soon  It is one project that is dear to the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu, who has used almost every opportunity with business people and investors wh
Read more

THE STATE OF KUMASI'S 'INDUSTRIAL AREA

-
The once Industrial enclave of the Ashanti region within the Kumasi metropolis is fast losing its status as the nerve centre of jobs for the people.     This is due to the collapse of most of the companies in quick succession in  the last few years for various reasons. Background Industrialization was a key component of the first wholly indigenous government of Ghana led by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. The Ashanti region was not left out in this drive which was meant to create decent jobs for the residents, particularly the youth.  Asokwa, Ahinsan, Kaase, Atonsu and Kyirapatre were the communities that became what is known as the ‘Industrial Area’ of Ashanti from the early 60s.  The christening of this enclave as the ‘Industrial Area’ was the people’s appreciation of the numerous state and privately owned companies that were sited there.  These communities fall within present day Asokwa Constituency which is in the western part of the metropolis from the Accra d
Read more

KWAMANG SHS NEEDS URGENT HELP

-
Image
New Campus of the Kwamang Presby SHS The Kwamang Presby Senior High/Technical School in the Sekyere Central district of Ashanti needs an urgent external intervention to address some of its pressing basic needs to function very well.  A visit by Ashanti Today to the school’s premises revealed that the school does not have an administrative block to administer affairs of the school for which reason the Headmistress, the Bursar and another staff are sharing one room which has been partitioned, while the Assistant Headmaster, the rest of the Accounts staff among other administrative officers are also working from an improvised classroom. Anybody who visits the Kwamang Presby Senior High Technical school for the first time will unavoidably take it for a basic school.  This is more so when it appears to be perching on the premises of the local Junior High School as its old site.  The school is wallowing in a myriad of challenges that are seriously militating against
Read more