Manufacturing is economy’s only hope – Ahomka-Lindsay

The economy’s future will be bleak if it is unable to process its raw materials in semi-finished or finished products for local consumption and/or exports, Deputy Trade and Industry Minister Robert Ahomka-Lindsay has said.

Speaking at the 2nd edition of the Ghana Manufacturing Awards, the Deputy Trade Minister indicated that the manufacturing sector is at the heart of government because that is the pillar to achieve an industrialised economy and fulfil the president’s dream of a ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’.

“Simply put, there is not much we can do in the future of this country if we don’t make more things in Ghana. We need to make more, we need to manufacture, we need to add value because we are tired of just selling cocoa beans and gold. It’s not enough for us,” he said.

He noted that there’s no point assigning trade agreements with the rest of the world when all that Ghana has to trade with are raw materials such as cocoa beans, gold, timber and other cash crops.

Mr Ahomka-Lindsay, therefore, urged the manufacturers to do more and position their sector as the providers of what Ghana can confidently trade with other countries in Africa and the rest of the world.

“We don’t want to trade any more cocoa beans and gold, we want to trade finished products; we want to trade products that have greater value, and in so doing we create more jobs for people. If we do not trade by having products that have value added to them, simply put, as a country we will never create enough jobs to satisfy the hundreds of thousands of young people that are looking for them,” he said.

The Ghana Manufacturing Awards celebrate innovation in the industry with an ultimate aim of compelling companies to compete locally and globally as industrialization is touted as the way forward for growth of this country.

About 40 companies and individuals who have demonstrated outstanding performance in stewardship, health and Safety, Corporate Social Responsibility and Innovation in the manufacturing industry were honoured.

Unilever Ghana Limited emerged as the ultimate winner as it was awarded Manufacturing Company of the Year. Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited, Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana Limited, Kasapreko and other giants in the industry were awarded.

List of Winners

Electrical Cable Manufacturing Company of the Year - Tropical Cable and Conductors Limited

Cannery Manufacturing Company of the Year - Cosmo Seafoods Limited

Steel Manufacturing Company of the Year - B5 Plus Company Limited

Plastics Manufacturing Company of the Year (Secure and Intelligent Plastics) - Intelligent Card Production Systems Ghana (ICPS)

Beverage Manufacturing Company of the Year (Herbal Liquor) - Joy Industries Limited

Plastic Manufacturing Company of the Year (Industrial) - Interplast Limited

Chemical Manufacturing Company of the Year - Azar Chemical Industries Limited.

Pharmaceutical Packaging Company of the Year - Unipak Ghana Limited

Beverage Manufacturing Company of the Year (Alcoholic) - Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited

Beverage Manufacturing Company of the Year (Non Alcoholic) - The Coca Cola Bottling Company of Ghana Limited

Local Content Award - Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited

Plastics Manufacturing Company of the Year (Pets/Preforms) - Blowchem Industries Limited

Plastics Manufacturing Company of the Year (Rubber Category) - Kane-Em Industries Limited.

Promising Manufacturing Company of the Year - Packaging Matrixx

Water Producing Company of the Year - Blowchem Industries Limited-Bel Aqua

(Sponsored by Beautiful Beneath) Marketing Campaign of the Year - Kasapreko Company Limited-Storm Energy Drink

Packaging Product Manufacturing Company of the Year - Kane-Em Industries Limited

Best Growing Manufacturing Company of the Year - Royal Crown Packaging Company Limited

Export Manufacturing Company of the Year - Kasapreko Company Limited.

Paint Manufacturing Company of the Year - Azar Chemical Industries Limited

Fabrication Company of the Year - McHammah Engineering

Manufacturing Innovations Award - Inesfly Africa Limited

Brand of the Year - Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited

Excellence in Health, Safety, Environment and Quality (HSEQ) - Tropical Cable and Conductors Limited

Emerging Brand of the Year - Daily Foods Company Limited

(Sponsored By BeForward) Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) - Unilever Ghana Limited

Bottling Company of the Year - The Coca Cola Bottling Company of Ghana Limited.



For the individual and special recognition awards, CEO of the Year went to Dr. Tony Oteng Gyasi, Tropical Cable And Conductors Limited; Entrepreneur of the Year, Mukesh Thakwani-B5 Plus Limited; Young Manufacturer Award, Richard Adjei, CEO of Kasapreko Company Limited; Excellence in Technology Award, Intelligent Card Production Systems Ghana(ICPS); Leadership and Strategy Award, Dr. Ernest Ofori Sarpong, Special Ice Company Limited; Woman of Excellence, Constance Swaniker; and Lifetime Achievement Award, Gobind R. Wadhwani, Kane-Em Industries Limited.

Honorary awards were: Cosmetics Manufacturing Company of the Year – Ghandour Cosmetics; Hair (Synthetic) Manufacturing Company of the Year – Weave Ghana Limited; Ceramics Product Manufacturing Company of the Year – Keda Ceramics Limited.