A Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, has lauded the private sector of the country for playing a major role in industrial growth by not only contributing to national development but also by creating new job opportunities for the youth.
At an awards ceremony organised by Tropical Cable and Conductor Ltd (TCCL) for its distributors in Tema, Mr Ahenkorah said the government was committed to creating the right atmosphere for businesses such as TCCL to thrive.
“We have identified the difficulties of companies or factories such as TCCL, especially the unnecessary challenges and competition that you go through with the influx of sub-standard materials or import of electrical cable that will not match your standards.
It is just unfortunate that some people, by way of trying to make profits, will always want to cut corners to achieve their aim,” he said.
Laws
Mr Ahenkorah said the government would introduce stringent measures, especially regarding wiring of buildings, adding that the Energy Commission and the Ghana Standards Authority had now been empowered by law to ensure that only materials that met Ghanaian standards were procured and used for wiring.
He said TCCL was one of the leading players in electrical cable industry due to its standard, quality and performance over the years.
Engage more idle hands
While commending TCCL for its contribution to the growth of the economy through the production of globally competitive products, Mr Ahenkorah admonished them to transfer their overtime payments into recruiting more people as a means of supporting the government’s efforts at job creation.
“We realised that last year, TCCL posted quite a substantial profit but delving into their records, we realised that the profits were supported by overtime labour; so our request to them and other industries is to consider engaging a few more idle hands and offer them employment so they can help in the job creation efforts,” he said.
The Assistant Sales and Marketing Manager of TCCL, Mr Michael Abbey noted that even though 2018 was a difficult year for the company, the distributors were loyal in doing business with the company.
Mr Abbey complained of the emergence of inferior electrical cables on the Ghanaian market, adding that a cursory look at the national fire statistics showed that about 80 per cent of fire outbreaks on buildings in Accra and Kumasi were as a result of either bad electrical wiring or the use of inferior cables.
He, therefore, lauded the Energy Commission and the Ghana Standard Authority for initiating a programme to certify electricians, emphasising that TCCL was ready to partner the two institutions to ensure that only properly qualified and certified professionals engaged in electrical wiring and installation works.
Awards
The award categories included appreciation to those who achieved their target and those who exceeded their targets.
Mrs Joyce Mensah of Naanajoise Ventures in Accra emerged the Overall Best Distributor. The prize packages included full high-definition television sets and refrigerators.
Writer’s email: benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh