Takoradi, (Western Region) 14 Jan. '99,

The Takoradi plant of the Ghana Cement Works (GHACEM), produced 600,000 tonnes of cement in 1998, representing an increase of about 12 percent over the 550,000 tonnes produced in1997. Mr. Knut Tiseth, Acting Works Manager, said this yesterday when Mr. Arun Kumar Banerjee, Indian High Commissioner in Ghana, visited the plant at the end of a two-day familiarisation tour of the Western Region. Mr Tiseth said production has been increasing at an annual rate of about 20 percent since 1986, adding that 20 percent of the cement produced last year was purchased by the mining companies. The company has put in place health, safety and environmental awareness programme for its workers in addition to measures to minimise pollution. At the Pioneer Tobacco Company, Mr. Jimmy Idun-Ogle, Managing Director, appealed to the Government to reduce the excise duty being paid by the Company to discourage the smuggling of cigarettes into the country. He said the Company pays six billion cedis a month in excise duties adding that 53 percent of its revenue goes into taxes.