Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana
President Nana Akufo-Addo on Saturday, January 13, 2018, commissioned a Twyford Ceramics factory at Shama District in the Western region to add-on to government’s one district, one factory industrialisation programme.
The establishment of the factory for the production and distribution of tiles is estimated at the cost of $77.26 million and will operate at a designed production capacity of 14.4 million square meters per year with annual sales projected to be $82.8 million.
Mr Akufo-Addo while commissioning the ceramic factory lauded the efforts of the investors in pushing for the multi-million dollar project.
“I must commend highly, the investors of this multi-million dollar project: Guangzhou Sunda International Trading Company Ltd and Keda Clean Energy Company Ltd. for their massive confidence in the NPP government’s trade and industrialization policy and the Ghanaian economy as a whole under our able management.
”You have shown the way, no doubt, and the inevitable profitability of your business venture in the Shama district will be a great signal to the reluctant investors who are waiting to see results from your investment as a motivation for their own initiatives. The good thing is that, you have taken, and will greatly benefit from the first mover advantage.”
”I challenge the youth, especially from Shama district, to rise to the occasion, equip yourselves with the required skills, education and knowledge to take advantage of the job possibilities that this ceramic factory brings to your door-steps. And I take this opportunity to encourage the numerous workers of this new Twyford ceremic factory, to develop a hard and dedicated work ethic in order to grow productivity to high levels since that is the only way to grow your own personal incomes and secure your jobs for the foreseeable future.”
President told the gathering that the doubting Thomases of the NPP government’s industrialization drive must start to have a rethink of his administration’s capability to create the enabling business environment.
”Many are those who doubted the NPP government’s sincerity or capability towards creating the enabling business or financial, institutional and legal framework for this industrialisation initiative to thrive in the short, medium and long term.
“Well, those who doubted us, who are definitely a few, can now start believing because today, another new factory in another new district is about to provide thousands of new jobs and raise the living standards of the people of Ghana and Shama district here in the Western region’’, the President told his critics.
Group Chairman of SUNDA International Mr. Y.C Shen in an address stated that Twyford ceramics was set up in Ghana in view of the enabling business environment created by the government, and hence called for government’s support for smooth operations of their business.
”Industrialisation is the main driver of every economy all over the world. As Ghana is trying to industrialise, we at Twyford ceramics factory are happy to be a part of the new industrialisation policy of this new government,’’ Mr Shen said.
An estimated one thousand eight hundred and sixty four (1864) jobs have been created for Ghanaians following the establishment of the ceramics factory.
All things being equal, the ceramics factory will reduce importation of tiles into Ghana from a $90.66 million to $7.86 million per year with a further potential to dramatically reduce the demand on foreign currency and therefore stabilizing the local currency.
