Implement cabinet’s directive on printing — GPCL
The management of the Ghana Publishing Company Limited (GPCL) has expressed worry over the persistent failure of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to implement the Cabinet’s directive that 20 per cent of all government printing jobs must be awarded to the state-owned company.
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It said currently the government’s printing contracts were given to private printing presses to the detriment of the one-time profitable company in which the government owned 100 per cent shares.
“The failure to implement the directive has been a major drawback to the productivity of the company over the years,” the Managing Director of the GPCL, Mr David Dzreke, said.
He expressed the worry when the Minister of Communications and Media Relations, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, paid a working visit to the company yesterday.
Dr Boamah together with his two deputies, Mr Felix Ofosu Kwakye and Mr Ato Essuman, learnt at first hand the challenges facing the company.
Equipment
Mr Dzreke said although the Cabinet had approved a proposal by the management of the GPCL for 20 per cent of the government’s printing jobs to be awarded to the company, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning had persistently failed to implement that decision.
He said in anticipation of receiving that percentage of the government’s printing jobs, the management of the GPCL had been working very hard to acquire state-of-the-art equipment for the company to be able to handle the expected volume of work.
He added that, that had been very necessary because almost all the equipment used by the company for its printing business were outmoded.
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“This development is having a huge impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of our operations, especially with the frequent breakdown of some key machines,” he said.
Lack of working capital
Another major setback hindering the smooth operations of the company, he said, was the lack of a working capital.
“Funds to motivate staff, acquire the needed inputs, as well as repair and maintain equipment, are hugely insufficient and that has compelled the company to depend on creditors for inputs which are expensive,” Mr Dzreke added.
Responding to the concerns expressed by the Managing Director, the Communications Minister, Dr Boamah encouraged the GPCL management to work hard to replace the company’s obsolete equipment in view of the present digitisation of printing.
He disclosed that very soon the government would undertake electronic security printing, and promised that the company would be awarded part of that contract.
“We will assist the GPCL to move into digital printing to make the company competitive in the printing industry,” the minister promised.