GHANA NUTS LIMITED CONTRIBUTES TO RURAL DEVELOPMENT (GRAPHIC NSEMPA, PAGE 14, JUNE 7, 2010)

By Akwasi Ampratwum-Mensah
 
The private sector has been constantly described as the engine of growth of the economy, since the sector contributes significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country. In fact, the private sector has provided and continues to provide employment for a reasonable percentage of the young population in the country.
But for this sector, a lot more young people, would have led wayward lives by becoming criminals, and would have also engaged in other social vices, including drug addiction, alcoholism and homo sexualism, among other bad practices.
While admitting that, the private sector plays its part in the growth of the Ghanaian economy, it is an undeniable fact that, most business ventures are concentrated in the cities of the country, mainly Accra, Kumasi, Tema, Takoradi and the bigger towns in southern Ghana.
It is against this background that the establishment of a company known as Ghana Nuts Limited (GNL) at Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region, which operates as a commodity trader in soya, groundnuts, cashew, sheanuts and sesame for local consumption and export is commendable.
The company was established in 2001 as an agro-processing centre of excellence within the West African Sub-Region, with emphasis on effective rural wealth creation, health promotion and melting pot for the Ghanaian economy for sustainable food security, human resource development and good corporate social responsibility.
GNL operates under the Ghana Free Zones Board (GFZB) and is a registered member of the Ghana Export Promotion Council (GEPC) and since 2003, the company has received awards of Gold and Platinum from the GEPC.
The company has a plant capacity of taking, 75,000 Metric Tons (Mt) of soya beans; 31,000 Mt of Shea Cake; and refine, 36,000 Mt of oil. During the peak season, the company engages a total of 336 people made up of 238 men and 98 women as permanent workers with a total of 433 casuals, comprising 194 men and 239 females, making a grand total of 769. Its direct employees programme is made up of 337 women and 432 men.
For the company’s indirect workforce, a total of 7,603 constitute out-growers in soya beans production in Northern Ghana and the Brong Ahafo Region, while over 5,000 families are engaged through the procurement of sheanuts and peanuts, all of who enjoy free transport service, free meals, free medicare and vitality services.   
As part of GNL’s corporate social responsibility portfolio, the company has adopted and renovated the Children’s Ward of the Techiman Holy Family Hospital as well as the development of a modern laundry service at the same hospital.
In line with its vision of good health and vitality, the company has donated a fully automated and comprehensively insured ambulance to the Chiraa Health Centre in the Sunyani West District, and employed a professional driver to ensure efficient operations.
The company has also procured three combined harvesters for soya bean farmers through its wealth creation programme to encourage the youth in agriculture.   
The GNL has also recently given aid to the Community Nurses Training School at Tanoso, near Sunyani by donating 200 bags of cement worth GH¢3,000 to support development projects being embarked upon by the school authorities, including the fencing of the acquired total land area to avoid encroachment and invasion by social miscreants.
Making the presentation, the Human Resource and Administrative Manager of GNL, Mr Evans Annor, expressed the hope that the donation would facilitate whatever projects that were under construction or was yet to start, saying that his outfit would not renege on its social responsibility programmes, which were geared towards the enhancement of the well being of the people.
The District Director of Health Services for Tano North, Dr Yakubu Bayayinah, observed that, the government alone could not handle the development needs of the country and so it was important that all well meaning individuals, organisations and institutions assisted in government.
Mrs Josephine Koranteng-Asare, the Principal of the school, who received the gift, indicated that, one story building, which was originally constructed to serve as a classroom block was now being used for other purposes, pointing out that there were a number of problems confronting the school, which needed immediate attention.