Gov’t must support indigenous businesses – Dr Siaw Agyepong

Government has been urged to support Ghanaian indigenous businesses, as this would help create jobs.

Executive Chairman of Jospon Group of Companies, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, made the call at the weekend during the company’s annual praise and thanksgiving service to climax its 10 years anniversary.

Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a subsidiary of Jospong Group of Companies, has over the past 10 years been holding annual praise and thanksgiving services to express appreciation to God for his favour and sustenance of the company and its staff members.

According to him, regardless of which party finds itself in power there must always be the conscious effort by government to support Ghanaian businesses to grow.

In this regard, he expressed gratitude to the erstwhile Kufuor administration, the late Professor Mills government and the current administration—the Mahama government—for their support all these years for his group of companies.

“…then President H.E. John Agyekum Kufuor was among the first to share in the great vision of keeping Ghana clean, green and healthy,” he expressed.

He recounted that 10 years back when he had a revelation to start a waste management company many of his friends and close confidantes became dumbfounded.

“I saw the shock in the eyes of people whenever I mentioned it to friends and confidantes that I wanted to be a garbage collector. But today, in just ten years, see what the Lord has done! This is indeed the doing of the Lord and it is marvelous in our sight!” he recounted

Though Zoomlion was identified with waste management at inception, Dr. Siaw Agyepong contended that his outfit can boast of managing all aspects of the waste chain.

These, he said, include transfer stations for long hauls and temporary storage, treatment in the form of compositing, faecal and medical waste processing as well as operation and maintenance of landfills.

“We have also explored backward integration strategies by the construction of an ultra-modern waste bin manufacturing plant which makes use of our broken bins as raw material, all adding to the creation of more jobs,” he disclosed.

According to Dr. Siaw Agyepong, his outfit has created over 200,000 jobs, especially for women.

He, therefore, seized the opportunity to express gratitude to the Metropolitan, Municipal, District, Assemblies (MMDAs), board members, banks and development partners for their support towards his company.

President John Dramani Maham, who was the guest of honour, congratulated Zoomlion for clocking 10 years.

He described Dr. Siaw Agyepong as a smart, intelligent, brilliant and a man full of ideas.

According to him, his administration believes strongly in the Ghanaian indigenous companies, adding that “this is why we have made it a policy to support Ghanaian businesses.”

“With the right support Ghanaian businesses can do better and that is what my government is doing,” said President Dramani Mahama.

The president spoke against the practice where people tend to politically colour Ghanaian businesses.

That, he stressed, was not good, adding that I am colour blind and politically blind when it comes to Ghanaian business persons.”

For his part, Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Prof. Opoku Onyinah, who delivered the sermon on the theme of the event: “Oh Lord how manifold are your works…” taken from Psalm 104: 24, entreated whichever political party that forms the next government to strive and support persons whose activities impact positively on society.