Alan Kyerematen
Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, has indicated that government is in the process of vigorously decentralizing the distribution of heavy-duty equipment or machineries to all 216 districts nationwide.
The Minister was speaking on Monday in Accra during a brief swearing-in ceremony of a seven-member governing board for the Ghana Heavy Equipment Limited (GHEL).
Members of the GHEL Board include Yaw Ntow Ababio, who doubles as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GHEL; Dr. Kwabena Twum-Nuamah, Robert Bediako Asare, Dorothy Ama Amponsah, Alhaji Alidu Abukari, Prince Opoku Edusei and Chairman of the Board, Yaw Asuo Banim.
According to the Minister, the move is to ensure that every district in the country has ample access to equipment, especially agricultural machineries, to fast-track their developmental agenda.
He said government, through the Ministries of Food and Agriculture, Trade and Industry and other agencies and departments, shall identify private businessmen who will establish mechanization centres across the country to aid the decentralization process.
The Minister further indicated that an assembling plant was going to be established for agricultural machineries, urging the new board to take advantage of the opportunity to make GHEL one of the vibrant state enterprises.
“I want your name to start coming up as a leading equipment company,” according to Mr. Kyeremanten.
Touching on the operations of GHEL over the years, Mr Kyeremanten said that “the company has not optimized its real potential.”
He urged members of the new board to use their expertise to provide the needed strategic direction to get the company to contribute meaningfully to national development.
Chairman of the Board, Mr Asuo Banim, also thanked President Akufo-Addo and Mr. Kyeremanten for reposing trust in them.
He said the board would use all resources at their disposal to improve the company to serve the needs of its clients.
GHEL is a limited liability company, solely owned by the Government Ghana.
It was initially the Heavy Equipment Division of the erstwhile Ghana National Trading Corporation.
GHEL is involved in the sale and service of construction and mining equipment, agricultural tractors and implements, generator sets and automobiles.