UK Trade Commissioner for Africa to toast Ghana to investors

The United Kingdom (UK) Trade Commissioner for Africa, Emma Wade-Smith, on Thursday toured the Unilever Ghana factory and promised to woo more British investors.

The Trade Commissioner noted that her outfit would use the success story of Unilever’s sustainable business in Ghana to encourage many more businesses from the United Kingdom to invest and establish their companies in the country.

She said she and her team were in the country to make sure “they were clear about the government’s priorities on further developing and diversifying the economy” .

This, she said, would enable them to match the UK’s strengths and capabilities for continuous building and driving of more investment flows to Ghana.

She expressed joy at the ability of UK and Ghana to have sustained the Unilever business in Ghana for many decades through the use of innovation, skills and technology adding that sustainability was an important part of the UK’s values and mission which was often personified in its businesses.

Touching on product quality, she noted that UK was renowned for quality, standards, efforts and values which she said was put into products of their companies adding that “there is no reason why consumers in Ghana should have to put up with products with less quality than what they want”.

She said the partnership her outfit was promoting between UK and Ghana was also geared towards having balance of investment to ensure well matched exports from Ghana and exports from the UK.

Mr George Owusu-Ansah, Managing Director of Unilever Ghana Limited, said the factory which was commissioned in 1963, had touched many homes over the years and contributed to the development of the economy.

Mr Owusu-Ansah indicated that they have been able to sustain the company in the country due to their code and values which anchors on respect and responsibility adding that the conducive business environment in Ghana  also contributed much to their sustainability.

The Unilever Boss said the company annually invested in innovating ideas to sustain and improve its gains saying that it was investing into the construction of a biomass plant that would enable the company to produce its own energy and get off the national grid.

“We will be embarking on the second phase of biomass to generate electricity from renewable energy sources to take ourselves off from the national grid and even be net exporter,” he added.

Source: GNA