Government Should Prioritize Products Made in Ghana, says Business Leader Mukesh Thakwani of B5 Plus

Mukesh Thakwani, Founder and CEO of B5 Plus Ltd, the leading manufacturer of steel products in Ghana and West Africa, shares his insights on what is blocking the development of products made in Ghana.

“The government policies should be very strict on the goods that we are able to produce here in Ghana and they should put a ban on the goods coming in which we are able to produce, not only for the Ghana market, but for the whole West African market. For example, there are products which B5 Plus is producing, and which are self-sufficient for the Ghana market as well as the whole region: products for pre-engineering building such as tankers, trailers, plus any type of prefab materials coming into Ghana. We are also the biggest producers of wire nails, binding wire, galvanized mesh and tubes up to three inches. The Ghana government should put an immediate ban on the entry of materials that we can produce here so that we are able not only to produce more, but also create thousands of employment, while saving the foreign currency as well. We will be doing some value additions here, and I think it is very important that we protect these industries. When we begun 20 years ago, the number of nail industries that were here were unbelievable, and we used to support them by supplying them with raw material. Today, there is a lot of smuggling going on with cheap products, like people bringing in toilet rolls, tiles, wire nails or steel plates, and that is killing the business”, says Mukesh Thakwani.

“We do not understand what is causing the blocking because we have given facts and figures to the officials, and we just hope and pray that actions will be taken in good time. Sometimes, exemptions are also given for the goods which are produced right here in Ghana, and that is killing the business, because we pay 5% to import the raw material, while there are some companies who are getting a 100% exemption on the finished product, and that is the biggest challenge for us today”, he adds.

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