GRATIS Foundations to be revamped

Management and Board of Directors of GRATIS Foundation say they are poised to revamp the company by empowering it technologically to play its proper role in Ghana's industrialisation drive.

The Ghana Regional Appropriate Technology Industrial Service (GRATIS) Foundation was established in August 1987 by the Government of Ghana to promote small-scale industrialization in Ghana under the supervision of the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI).

GRATIS Foundation produced machines oil palm processors, machine for processing plant waste into animal feed, fruit juice extractors, among others for small-scale and medium enterprises.

Mr Adjei Ntim, Chief Executive Officer of Gratis, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency indicated that his outfit was in need of modern technological drive which would enable it meet demands of modern industrial operations.

Mr Ntim together with Mr Amoako Baah, Chairman of GRATIS Board of Directors and its members, paid a working tour to the company and held hours of close door meetings with workers on Wednesday.

He noted that GRATIS had the capacity to provide the needed industrial technological support to augment government’s flagship programme. “Planting for Food and Jobs”.

He regretted that GRATIS had not been managed well by successive managements leading to its declining importance adding that he was ready to revamp the operations of the technology oriented company.

The CEO said the tour of the premises afforded them the opportunity to gather the needed information to help formulate measures that would redeem the sinking company.

Mr Baah on his part said the breakdown of machines at the premises and poor maintenance culture at the organization gave credence to the assertion that it was poorly managed by their predecessors.