Local firms asked to partner govt as Nestle expands facilities
The Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, has assured local manufacturing firms in the country of the government’s continued support to them in delivering quality goods and services to the citizenry.
He has, therefore, asked the firms to partner the government by providing information on their challenges to enable the government to provide solutions to them within the constraints of the current economic difficulties.
Mr Amissah-Arthur gave the assurance when he inaugurated expanded facilities of Nestlé Ghana Limited in Tema yesterday and reiterated the government’s resolve to partner other indigenous industries.
Expanded facility
The Vice-President commended the management of Nestle and recalled the presence of the multinational company in Ghana during the pre-independence era, describing it as a leading global brand.
He said the decision by management to expand its facilities was a further demonstration of the reputation the establishment had for producing quality products onto the Ghanaian market.
Mr Amissah-Arthur lauded Nestlé for connecting with small-scale producers in the agro supply chain sector as he underscored the need for the country to maintain the reputation of its cocoa as the best in the world.
He said the decision to increase the producer price of cocoa by 63 per cent was consistent with the government’s policy to enhance the welfare of cocoa farmers and also to attract investors into the sector.
On that score, the Vice-President implored the youth to venture into cocoa farming contending that their entry would further bolster productivity in the industry.
He described the relationship between Nestlé and the government as ‘good’ saying that Nestle had religiously fulfilled its tax obligation to the state.
On job creation, Mr Amissah-Arthur acknowledged the thousands of Ghanaians who had been employed by the company under its various product lines.
He asked the private sector to increase its participation in the economic recovery process and said the government, for its part, would provide the conducive environment for the private sector to also play its part.
Social responsibility
The Vice-President stressed the need for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to be nurtured by multinational giants and urged Nestlé to, as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), lead in that crusade.
Deputy Minister
A Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, who described Nestle as one of the fastest-growing companies in the country, said the government considered the company and the private sector in particular as critical to national development.
“The government would continue to create the enabling environment in terms of micro-economic stability for sustainable economic growth,” he said.
Mr Ricketts-Hagan said the ministry was developing a comprehensive CSR that would provide guidelines to companies to minimise their activities that adversely affect the environment.
Earlier, the Managing Director of Nestlé Ghana, Mr Hoaut El Mataaz, said the company in the last three years had expended 38 million Swiss Francs on its expansion process and that the expanded facilities sought to introduce four more product lines in powdered milk.