Education subcommittee of Ghana Shipper Authority visits GREL

By Mildred Siabi-Mensah, GNA

Agona Nkwanta (W/R), July 30, GNA - The Education Subcommittee of the Regional Shippers Committee over the weekend engaged the Management of the Ghana Rubber Estate Limited (GREL) to acquaint themselves with the company's operation and chart a positive operational course with the company.

The GREL, the leading exporter of serum from the rubber tree in the country, has suffered some operational deficiencies over the last five years mainly due to the bad road network and change of cargo or vessel for shipment affecting turnaround time.

Mr Charles Darling Sey, the Western Regional Branch Manager of the Ghana Shippers Authority, who led the delegation to the factory site of the GREL, said it has become imperative that the Authority familiarize itself with operations and business challenges encountered by exporters such as the GREL to better advocate interventions that would enhance freight activities and increase local economic growth.

He said many of such institutions have been visited and their concerns noted for immediate engagement with stakeholders adding, "We are planning for an exporters’ forum early next month for a broader consultation and the way forward".

The Educational subcommittee, welfare and Legal constitutes the Regional Shippers Committee.

Mr Ledru Elliott, Factory Manager of GREL, called on government to stop the export of raw rubber adding, "It is illegal to export, yet such products find itself at the port for export".

He said though company is embarking on a 60 million dollar expansion project, it would in the future export through Ivory Coast to control the cost incurred by the company due to bad roads and shipment delays, "usually, we have to pay penalty to our clients in Europe due to these shipment problems".

Mr Elliot said the bad roads have drastically reduced their traffic to the Takoradi Port adding "five years ago when I came to Ghana, we could load to the port about five times in a day but currently it is not so".

The GREL operates in 95 communities in the Central, Eastern and the Western Regions and hope to increase production from the current 45000 tonnes to 100000 tonnes by 2025.

GNA

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