Ghacem donates 500,000 bags of cement for education, health projects
About 4,500 communities have received a total of 500,000 bags of cement from the Ghacem Cement Foundation (GCF) since its inception in 2002, Nana Prah Agyensaim VI, Chairman of the foundation has disclosed.
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Nana Agyensaim VI, who was speaking at the GCF Northern Sector Awards last week in Sunyani, said for 15 years now the Foundation has provided free cement to health and educational institutions to support their infrastructure development. “From 2002 to date, a total of 500,000 bags of cement at a cost of GH¢16 million has been donated free of charge to qualified schools and hospitals in Ghana.
Selected health and educational institutions in the Northern Sector of the country which includes; Upper East, Upper West, Northern, Ashanti and Brong Ahafo were present at the event to receive a total of 10,190 bags of cement at a cost of about GH¢326,000.
The Southern Sector which includes; Greater Accra, Volta, Central, Western and Eastern Region also received a total of 15,000 bags valued at GH¢ 480,000 at a similar event held a fortnight ago in Cape Coast.
The objective of the foundation, Nana Prah emphasised was to assist Government in infrastructural development. “Ghacem is a company with conscience and although it obliges to all its financial obligations including taxes and duties, the GCF since its inception has annually given free bags of cement to the development of Ghana” he stressed.
Keynote address
In his keynote address, Managing Director of Ghacem, Mr. Morten Gade lamented that although unfair trade practices in the cement industry had hugely affected its production, the company would continue in good spirit the GCF to support self help projects in a bid to add its quota towards national development.
He debated that cement manufacturing companies have the installed capacity of 9 million tones as against an average national consumption of 5 million tones given a surplus installed capacity of 4 million tones “and with this huge excess in supply there is no need to continue the importation of bagged cement into the country which has no added values in terms of industrial competence, employment, direct investment, local sub-contracting and the use of local raw materials”. He called on all stakeholders to red-flag this menace to salvage the Cement Industry from collapse.
Mr. Gade also seized the occasion to invite Ghanaians to join the company this year as it celebrates its Golden Jubilee. “We are marking 50 years of major development, having been used for major monuments in Ghana for the past 50 years and the next 50 years to come.
On her part, Professor Audrey Gadzekpo, a Council Member of the GCF reaffirmed this year’s donation by GCF was a further demonstration of Ghacem’s commitment towards playing a key role in the development of Ghana. She urged the beneficiaries to use the cement for the intended purpose and spread the word by informing others to apply