GHACEM Cement Foundation supports schools, hospitals in southern sector

Ghacem Cement Foundation on Friday donated 14,000 bags of cement worth GH¢ 149,000 to schools and hospitals in the southern zone at a ceremony in Koforidua.

Nana Prah Agyensaim VI, Chairman of the Ghacem Foundation, indicated that the foundation was set up eight years ago to help rural communities.

The beneficiary regions are Western, Central, Greater Accra, Volta and Eastern Regions.

He said the northern sector was earlier supplied with 18,000 bags of cement as the company’s social responsibility.

Nana Agyensaim appealed for an enabling environment to be created for investors to invest in the country adding that when investors were harassed it would compel them to invest their resources elsewhere.

He said the company sank GH¢ 58 million direct and indirect taxes to the economy and was also creating more jobs as well.

Nana Agyensaim said it was therefore important to create an enabling atmosphere for such companies to operate adding, “Take politics out and let the entrepreneurs do their work”.

He said contrary to what people would say Ghana enjoyed the lowest price of a bag of cement in the whole world.

Nana Agyensaim appealed to the beneficiaries to use the cement for the intended purposes and to ensure that none of them was diverted.

Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, Eastern Regional Minister, who was the special guest of honour, noted that the donation to Schools, hospitals and other outfits was one of the biggest corporate social responsibility packages that had been introduced in the country.

“It is an undeniable fact that the donation has helped many communities in this country in the provision of school infrastructure”.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo indicated that government was not oblivious of the contributions of Ghacem towards the socio-economic development of the
country.

“The numerous infrastructural developments going on throughout the country such as roads, schools, hospitals, libraries and teachers’ quarters make use of cement, a large number of which is produced by Ghacem”.

He indicated that it was in such light that government deemed Ghacem, the leader in the cement industry, as a partner in the execution of government projects and would provide an enabling environment for its continuous operation.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said educational infrastructure remained one of the key challenges confronting the country in its pursuit of quality education adding that the humanitarian gesture emanating from Ghacem Foundation was therefore very laudable.

He expressed worry about the recent impasse between Ghacem and the Kroboland and therefore appealed to the two parties to exercise restraint and tolerance while the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) tried to resolve it.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo appealed to Ghacem to periodically donate cement to the RCC to assist people who were in distress such as disasters and extreme poverty.

Source: GNA