Government
urged to restrict timber export
Accra (Greater Accra) 1 March 2000
A
Ghanaian-based wood processor on Tuesday appealed to the government to put
restrictions on the export of timber to allow local wood processors to have
enough wood to meet customers' demands.
Mr Jakob Staubli, Technical and Production
Manager of Mahogany Wood Processing and Construction Limited (MWPCL), made the
call in an interview with the GNA at the on-going seventh Ghana International
Trade Fair, dubbed "the Millennium fair".
He noted that whilst timber companies in
the country concentrate more on exporting their merchandise for foreign
currencies, local wood processors and furniture companies are not able to meet
the demands of customers due to lack of wood.
"Even those who sell to us, do so
with reluctance and at very exorbitant rates".
Mr Staubli said the company is operating
at 50 per cent capacity because, "in spite of the several orders that we
have placed with local timber processors, none of them is willing to provide
the quantities we require for our work".
He said the situation is affecting the
local wood processing industry adversely, adding, "currently there are so
many orders that we have not been able to meet, as a result of which our
customers are losing confidence in us".
Mr Staubli said, "this has forced us
to resort to the use of cheap wood with the hope that our customers would
understand and accept our products until good wood is available".
He alleged that the Ghana Export
Promotion Council and the Ministry of Trade are fully aware of the situation
and its effects on local wood processors, but they seemed not to be doing
anything about it.
He thefore
asked the government to intervene and rescue the local wood processing
industry.
GRi../
Accra (Greater Accra) 1 March 2000
The Ghana
National Petroleum Company (GNPC), on Tuesday invited interested investors to
participate in the production of modernised local gas stoves and burners,
designed to encourage the use of fuel gas in the country.
Mr Farouk Imoro, Marketing Representative
of Energy Products Limited (ENPRO), a subsidiary of the GNPC, told the GNA that
the company owns 100 per cent equity of the eight lines of modernised local
stoves and burners under the brand name 'Kleenkuk'.
He mentioned the eight products as small,
medium, large, extra large and double burner 'Kleenkuk' stoves, as well as
'Kleenkuk' Suya Grill for roasting khebab, 'Kleenkuk' Chorkor Smoker and
'Kleenkuk' metal and mud ovens.
Mr Imoro said the products were
manufactured on a pilot basis between 1995 and 1997, using only schools, bars,
restaurants and hotels to test their efficiency.
The pilot project proved positive with a
resultant high demand from the local market, and this has necessitated the need
for a strategic investor to participate in their large-scale production and
distribution.
Mr Imoro said the 'Kleenkuk' stoves and
burners are well researched, designed and patented with accessories to conform
to Ghanaian traditional way of cooking using fuel gas as the modern component.
The
products are currently on the market and to intensify their use, GNPC through
ENPRO has embarked on the creation of environmental awareness, focusing on the
use of fuel gas as against fuel wood.
The company is exhibiting all the eight products and gas cylinders
at the on-going seventh Ghana International Trade Fair 2000.
Meanwhile exhibitors at pavilion T and
its environs are unhappy with what they call "low visitation to our side
of the fair grounds".
Exhibitors at pavilion T include Hunu
Tecna, dealers in water pumps, Casa Bella Furniture Limited (CBFL), and some
fashion designers.
Ms Evelyn Asima of CBLF, however, noted
that due to the low visitor turnout to the pavilion "we get enough time to
make meaningful business contacts and engage people in fruitful
discussions".
GRi../
Accra
(Greater Accra) 1 March 2000
A number of
local exhibitors at the Seventh Ghana International Trade Fair 2000 say its
priority has been misplaced and called on the organisers to put it back on
course.
In separate
interviews with the GNA on Wednesday, the exhibitors, mainly located in
Pavilion A, set aside for made in Ghana goods, said they expected measures to
be put in place to promote fruitful business contacts instead of allowing it to
be like a sales centre.
They said
there is a difference between a trade fair and Grand Sales whose objective is
to promote the selling of goods.
Mr Hakeem
Balogun, Marketing Manager of Antelope Company Limited (ACL), local
manufacturers of Antelope and Anansi mosquito coils, said he has been
disappointed at all fairs he has attended in Ghana since 1997.
He added that this year's fair has not
lived up to its name "the millennium fair."
Mr Balogun said the aim of his company's
participation in the fair was not to sell products, but to create contacts with
sub-regional and other foreign companies with the view to expanding the export
base of the company.
Mr Balogun said the organisers assured
exhibitors that three business days – 28 February to Wednesday 1 March - would
be set aside, where the gates would be closed to the general public to allow
strict business interactions.
He observed that on the first business
day, school children and a section of the public were allowed unto the fair grounds while the organisers have done
nothing to promote the business days.
"We expected the organisers to have gone
a step further to organise a forum during the three business days for local and
foreign business organisations, especially those of us who are not selling, to
brief each other on our various business interests with the view to creating
partnerships."
Mr Balogun said as the fair progresses,
his fears are getting worse, adding "we are told that the few days to the
end of the fair will be dedicated to fun fair and pure entertainment."
"Those who are selling their
products are likely to benefit from the numerous people who would come in
during the fun fair, but those of us who are for business contacts would simply
lose."
Mr Jakob Staubli, Technical and Production
Manager of Mahogany Wood Processing and Construction Limited (MWPCL), suggested
that all companies dealing in similar items should have been put together under
one roof.
Such an arrangement would not only have
promoted sharing of ideas among like companies, but would also have boosted
sales and business contacts since visitors would easily locate particular
stands and products.
Mr Staubli described the fair as very
disorganised, saying this account for why some notable business organisations
have refused to participate in the millennium fair.
Mr Eugene J. Dwebeng, Sales assistant at
the Darko Farms, shared the same sentiments as Mr Staubli and called on
organisers to review their first-come-first-served strategy of allocating
stands and use a more innovative strategy to ensure business promotion.
Mr Bright Dokyi-Nyarko of the Ghana
Cylinder Company Limited said his stand is too far away from companies
promoting similar products.
Ms Akosua Prempeh of Akuaba Furniture
called on the organisers to intensify the publicity to boost patronage of the
fair.
GRi../