Coca-Cola commits to expanded investment in Ghana

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Coca-Cola Company, Mr. Muhtar Kent, says Ghana was among the countries selected for Coca-Cola’s ten-year expansion program for Africa.

He was speaking during a strategic leadership meeting with Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Minister for Trade and Industry with Coca-Cola executives at its head office in Atlanta, USA.

While commending the management of Coca-Cola for their corporate dynamism and vision in Africa, Dr. Spio-Garbrah also requested Coca-Cola executives to commit some funds into government efforts to revive key priority projects such as the Komenda Sugar Factory.

In this regard, the Hon. Minister stressed that government has produced a draft National Sugar Policy and a draft Sugar Industry Bill, which is expected to guarantee security against any commercial risk on investments into sugar production.

In a related development, Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah and his business delegation held separate meetings with top executives of United Parcel Services (UPS), the US Exim Bank office in Georgia and the US Chamber of Commerce in Atlanta on various strategic issues, including supply chain and logistics; water treatment and irrigation systems; green house and agriculture; intermediate assembling plant; tractor and agricultural equipment; and franchising among others.

To fully unlock trade potentials, which is envisaged from the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), as well as streamline and harmonize Customs procedure, consistent with international best practices, the Trade and Industry Minister paid a familiarization visit to the US Department of Commerce where he received executive leadership briefing on the success stories of the US government facilities and programs that support US companies interested in exporting US goods and services.

The Trade and Industry Minister also addressed a breakfast meeting of small to medium size African American companies in Buckhead, Georgia, who desire to do business in Ghana and are also involved in various health, education and urban redevelopment programs.

Dr Spio-Garbrah was in the United States of America, at the instance of the Bilateral US-Arab Chamber of Commerce in Atlanta.

The meetings are to provide a platform for credible Ghanaian businesses looking for partnerships in the United States to effectively interact with potential investors and partners across sectors with specific emphasis on Agriculture/ Agro-processing, Manufacturing, Transportation, Franchising, Supply Chain Management and Logistics.