The Kasapreko Company Limited (KCL) has unveiled a multi-million-dollar water, juice and soft drinks factory at Tanoso in the Ashanti Region as part of government’s flagship One District, One Factory (1D1F) initiative.
The multipurpose factory which is set up on a 10,000-square metre property, has the capacity to produce 35,000 bottles per hour of juices and non-alcoholic drinks, and 15,000 bottles per hour of water, working at full capacity. The factory will employ 300 people directly, and also generate some 3,000 indirect jobs through the supply chain.
Speaking at the launch, Chairman of the Kasapreko Group, Dr. Kwabena Adjei, expressed profound gratitude to the government of Ghana for the 1D1F initiative which has assisted Kasapreko to access a US$25 million Stanbic Bank loan for the construction of the factory.
“I want to use this occasion to congratulate the President and his government for the ideation of the 1D1F programme aimed at creating jobs for Ghanaians through the setting up of factories and industries which will in turn move the country towards greater industrialization,” he said.
According to him, the factory which is part of the government’s flagship 1D1F initiative is equipped with world class machinery that would contribute to the production of high-quality brands of beverages in different specialized packaging formats that could compete favourably with international brands.
“Indeed, Kasapreko appreciates its association with the Government of Ghana on the One District, One Factory initiative and finds it timely to have been supported by the Government to promote a Ghanaian owned business. Government has indeed gone beyond making pronouncements on the promotion of Made-in-Ghana goods to supporting it with actions, Kasapreko family is happy to have been a part of this transformation agenda,” he stressed.
Dr. Adjei further indicated that, for the private sector to thrive there is the need for government to introduce policies that will help create an enabling environment for growth. “The private sector is the engine of growth for every economy, but the private sector can only thrive in an enabling environment anchored by good ‘growth driven’ policies by Government,” he said.
He added: “There is the need for more collaboration between the private sector and Government to drive the growth we all desire. And I pray that the private sector is refined, motivated and remunerated to the greatest possible extent.”
For his part, Chief Executive Officer at Kasapreko, Richard Adjei, commended government for showing commitment in supporting the private sector through the 1D1F initiative. “For those who do not believe the 1D1F programme is real, please note Parliament has approved a 5-year tax waiver for Kasapreko worth 28million dollars on machinery and raw materials because of 1D1F,” he said.
According to him, the decision to have a subsidiary factory in Ashanti Region was strategic as it would serve the Middle and Northern belts and also relieve pressure on the main factory in Accra. “The factory will not only be serving the Ashanti Region, Bono, Ahafo Region, and the Northern part of the country but also export to Burkina and Côte d’Ivoire,” he said.
He added: “we want to add our voice to the call on promoting locally manufactured products, as these have proven to be of high quality, many times than the imported ones.” Set up three decades ago at Nungua in Accra, Kasapreko is today, the largest producer of carbonated soft drinks and alcohol in the country, and boasts of the most diverse product range for variant consumer preferences.
