The rehabilitated WAMCO premises ready to take off. INSET: Frank Bednar, explaining a point
The management of West Africa Mills Company Limited (WAMCO), a cocoa processing company in Takoradi, has denied reports that the brief suspension of the operations of the company will jeopardize the future of the workers.
The management of WAMCO also debunked assertions that it was planning to lay off workers.
There were reports yesterday that the fate of about 50 workers of a cocoa processing company was in limbo due to the suspension of operations indefinitely by management.
Speaking to BUSINESS GUIDE in an interview, Frank Bednar, Deputy Managing Director of WAMCO, explained that the company had been in recession for close to three years under the previous government.
“This is because COCOBOD stopped supplying the company with cocoa beans-its raw material and so most of the workers were contracted on casual basis and paid allowances,” he added.
Mr. Bednar indicated that the company was a joint venture between Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and a German investor, and that several attempts to help revive the company during the previous government were not successful.
He asserted that WAMCO would have collapsed if the NPP had not been elected into power.
He noted that when the current government took over the current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of COCOBOD, Joseph Boahen Aidoo gave assurance that the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) government would collaborate with the foreign investor to revive the defunct company.
He indicated that based on assurance, the majority shareholder injected over $2 million to rehabilitate the various plants for full production to begin.
“Some staff of WAMCO were recalled to undertake rehabilitation works at the Liquor Plant, which is the WAMCO 1 Plant site and in September 2017, the company procured 500 metric tonnes of cocoa beans to test run the same liquor plant.
“WAMCO, through the assessment period, was able to produce and ship a total of 150 tonnes of liquor from the beans they procured.
He noted that prior to the Christmas break, he informed workers that the company must move from test run to full production, but certain measures must be put in place.
He mentioned that the majority shareholder needs a firm assurance from COCOBOD that it would supply cocoa beans on regular basis to WAMCo.
He also mentioned that the management and shareholders of the company would have to constitute a governing board to negotiate on salaries.
“Currently, WAMCO does not have a governing board and without it we cannot negotiate on anything,” he added.
“So we have not started full operations even though currently all the machines are ready for production. Why should we spend money to rehabilitate the machines and shut the company down or lay workers off.”
“The resumption of full production is not clear yet but I have already explained to the workers to be patient for the right things to be done, then we will call them and even employ more,” he declared.
“The workers’ fate is not in limbo, as has been alleged by some of the workers themselves to the media. They would definitely be called to work after the proper measures have been taken,” he stressed.
According to management of WAMCO, the company started with about 30 workers for the test run, but indicated that the number would increase when the cocoa processing company starts full operations this year.
WAMCO, which has been granted a free zone board status, comprises three factories, including Expeller Plant, Cocoa Liquor Plant and Hydraulic Press Plant.
The first two plants are in WAMCO 1-Expeller Plant and the other at WAMCO 2.
The expeller plant uses the expeller methods for the extraction of butter from the cocoa beans.
The crude butter extracted is then purified, deodorized and packaged with the brand name, ‘Deodorized Butter’ and “Expeller Cocoa Cake.”
At the Cocoa Liquor Plant, roasted cocoa beans are winnowed and the nibs milled into a fine paste, which is sterilized.
The plant has a facility to alkalize the liquor.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Sekondi