Accra Brewery, a major player in the Ghanaian brewery industry, has moved its responsible retailer training programme to the Ashanti Region; hosting 100 retailers in a two–day event in Kumasi.

The training programme, which is in line with the company’s commitment to ensuring the safety and good health of consumers, had the retailers taken through topics such as Alcohol and the Law, Alcohol and Pregnant Women, Alcohol and Underage Persons ,Alcohol Abuse and Dependence, as well as Responsible Marketing and Promotions by a team of resource persons from the Health and Work Environment Agency (HAWEA).

Since its inception in February 2013, ABL has engaged and trained 305 retailers in Accra on its Alcohol Behaviour and Communication Policy.

The programme has equally empowered retailers of ABL brands to promote responsible sale, consumption and advertising of ABL’s alcoholic beverages.

Speaking at the event, Mrs Ellen Mensah and Mrs Elizabeth Otieku Boadu , Programme Officers of HAWEA, applauded the timeliness of the event.

‘‘We are particularly impressed with the timing of this training programme. To us, it has come at the time of the year when some persons are inclined to over-indulge themselves, hiding under the guise of Christmas festivities. It is on this note that we applaud this effort by ABL in helping to reduce the menace of irresponsible alcohol consumption.’’

Ms Ewurafua Addo-Atuah, Legal and Regulatory Affairs Manager of ABL, expressed delight at the turn out for the event, especially as it was the company’s first responsible retailing programme in the Region.

She reiterated that ABL , as a subsidiary of SABMiller is committed to uphold the provisions and objectives contained in the Global Alcohol Producers’ Commitments as signed in October 2012 to reduce, among others, harmful drinking.

“As a community oriented company, we recognise our responsibility not only to our shareholders, but most importantly to the people within our distribution chain, especially our retailers. It is in view of this that ABL continues to prioritise activities that empower and add value to our retailers,” she said.

She indicated that ABL’s presence in Kumasi forms part of efforts to widen the spectrum of this laudable programme across the length and breadth of the Ghana.

Madam Susan Nyante, a retailer, was full of praise for ABL for reaching retailers in Kumasi with such a laudable programme.

She promised, on behalf of her colleagues, to uphold the tenets of responsible alcohol consumption.

The broad thematic areas of ABL’s Alcohol Policy touch on employees conduct in relation to alcohol behaviour and communication; and alcohol intelligence quotient. This is what ABL aims to share with its key stakeholders.