<<Print>>

The Managing Director of Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited (GGBL), Mr Peter Ndegwa, has stated that the private sector plays a key role in the development and prosperity of a nation and should therefore be given all the needed support. According to him, a successful business has multiplier effects on every nation and therefore called on the government to support the private sector to grow. Speaking at the Ghana Economic Forum in Accra, Mr Ndegwa said �True leadership does more than build the structures, it has the ability also to shape and provide the specific architecture and direction of growth, to �build a better� nation�.� The Ghana Economic Forum is an annual event that seeks to bring together industry chieftains and civil society actors to discuss and debate key issues affecting the Ghanaian economy and offer solutions to enhance the achievement of the country�s economic development plans. This year�s discussion focused on the role of leadership in the private sector in driving national economic prosperity, and as the leader in Ghana�s beverage industry, GGBL presented the perspective of the key player in the private sector. Mr Ndegwa explained that last year GGBL joined other industry players to spearhead an approach to government to encourage increased use of local raw materials in the brewing industry by providing concessionary excise rates where a given percentage of local raw materials were used in production. That, he said, had seen the creation of real economic growth in other countries where Diageo PLC, the parent company of GGBL, operated by providing livelihoods for farmers, a guaranteed purchaser of produce at a market price, enabling them to provide for and educate their children. Following the passage of the law, GGBL in December launched Ruut Extra Premium Beer, Ghana�s first cassava based beer, brewed from 51 per cent locally sourced cassava. The managing director of Guinness said that was the first step towards pushing the use of locally sourced materials in production; supporting and increasing the livelihoods and development of local farmers and industry; investing in technology, innovation and equipment to make this possible. �GGBL firmly believes that beyond an obligation to return value to the community, �Doing Good is good for Business� and we choose to use our leadership in this direction� he added. He also encouraged governments to provide an enabling and targeted policy, infrastructure that supports private sector growth � economic and reliable water, energy and roads � and maintain an open dialogue with industry to engender the growth of the private sector.