President J.E.A Mills has lauded Guinness Ghana Breweries for investing in sectors like agriculture and water, which are dear to the heart of his government.
The President said this when a Guinness delegation led by Mr. Stuart Fletcher, President of Diageo International, the parent company of Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited paid a courtesy call on him yesterday at the Castle Osu.
“The migration of the youth to the cities continues to be a burden, the government is happy that you are partnering with the Ministry of Agriculture to provide jobs to the rural folks through the promotion of the sorghum project in the Northern Region,” the President said.
The President lauded the commitment of Guinness to providing safe drinking water to the Ghanaian communities.
“Guinness’ support for sports has also been phenomenal.
From my experience, I know that Guinness never fails so my government will give you every support that you need to implement your corporate social responsibility programmes,” the President concluded.
Earlier the Diageo president, Fletcher who is on a three-day working visit to acquaint himself with the operations of GGBL, told President Mills that because Ghana is a very important market for Diageo, the company was committed to being a responsible corporate citizen by supporting the government to address the country’s development needs.
Mr Fletcher cited the company’s flagship corporate social responsibility programme, the Water of Life One million challenges that is committed to providing one million Africans with potable water each year.
Since its inception in 2006, three million Africans in 12 different countries including Ghana have been provided with potable water.
In Ghana, 350,000 Ghanaians over a three-year period have been provided with potable water through the construction of 36 boreholes as well as the distribution of hundreds of water filters.
Total investment to date is GH¢1, 000,000 million ($700,000). The distribution of the boreholes is also undertaken in line with government’s nationwide approach to development.
Mr. Fletcher further mentioned that Ghana was to receive €250,000 as seed funding towards a new enterprise initiative to build a sustainable market for CrystalPur TM, an affordable water filter that eliminates 99.99 per cent of all waterborne bacteria and parasites, with no chemicals or mechanical parts.
The initiative will benefit over 250,000 Ghanaians in areas where surface water is predominantly used and water is boiled before drinking.
The funding will come from the Arthur Guinness Fund, which was launched in celebration of 250 years of Greatness of its iconic brand Guinness.
The courtesy call was also an opportunity to introduce Mr. Ekwunife Okoli, the new Managing Director of GGBL to President Mills.
Speaking to the press, Mr. Okoli said, “in line with our plan to develop local sources for our brewing materials, GGBL has continued to promote sorghum development in northern Ghana”.
The President said this when a Guinness delegation led by Mr. Stuart Fletcher, President of Diageo International, the parent company of Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited paid a courtesy call on him yesterday at the Castle Osu.
“The migration of the youth to the cities continues to be a burden, the government is happy that you are partnering with the Ministry of Agriculture to provide jobs to the rural folks through the promotion of the sorghum project in the Northern Region,” the President said.
The President lauded the commitment of Guinness to providing safe drinking water to the Ghanaian communities.
“Guinness’ support for sports has also been phenomenal.
From my experience, I know that Guinness never fails so my government will give you every support that you need to implement your corporate social responsibility programmes,” the President concluded.
Earlier the Diageo president, Fletcher who is on a three-day working visit to acquaint himself with the operations of GGBL, told President Mills that because Ghana is a very important market for Diageo, the company was committed to being a responsible corporate citizen by supporting the government to address the country’s development needs.
Mr Fletcher cited the company’s flagship corporate social responsibility programme, the Water of Life One million challenges that is committed to providing one million Africans with potable water each year.
Since its inception in 2006, three million Africans in 12 different countries including Ghana have been provided with potable water.
In Ghana, 350,000 Ghanaians over a three-year period have been provided with potable water through the construction of 36 boreholes as well as the distribution of hundreds of water filters.
Total investment to date is GH¢1, 000,000 million ($700,000). The distribution of the boreholes is also undertaken in line with government’s nationwide approach to development.
Mr. Fletcher further mentioned that Ghana was to receive €250,000 as seed funding towards a new enterprise initiative to build a sustainable market for CrystalPur TM, an affordable water filter that eliminates 99.99 per cent of all waterborne bacteria and parasites, with no chemicals or mechanical parts.
The initiative will benefit over 250,000 Ghanaians in areas where surface water is predominantly used and water is boiled before drinking.
The funding will come from the Arthur Guinness Fund, which was launched in celebration of 250 years of Greatness of its iconic brand Guinness.
The courtesy call was also an opportunity to introduce Mr. Ekwunife Okoli, the new Managing Director of GGBL to President Mills.
Speaking to the press, Mr. Okoli said, “in line with our plan to develop local sources for our brewing materials, GGBL has continued to promote sorghum development in northern Ghana”.
