President John Mahama has challenged members of the reconstituted Divestiture Implementation Committee to divest the remaining government assets and any other residual assets before December 2016.

This is to curtail further government maintenance expenditure on them.

In doing this they must “be proactive and move beyond being disinterested salesmen and encourage and facilitate the business plans of investors by working with other sectors of government to ensure the survival of local industry. In all cases, local investors should be given priority and foreign investment collaborations should be encouraged”.

President Mahama disclosed this in an inaugural speech read on his behalf by Minister of State at the Presidency in charge of Private Sector, Rashid Pelpou, during the inauguration of the reconstituted eight-member DIC board.

The president further charged them to ensure that the legal department of the DIC is well resourced to ensure due legal diligence is conducted before a divestiture is undertaken to forestall legal challenges.

“The availability of legal support will also assist the Attorney General to respond promptly to numerous suits before the courts and the Labour Commission and also to commence legal action for the retrieval of outstanding divestiture receipts and also claims and encroachment and on properties listed for divestiture”, he emphasized.

The board is under the chairmanship of Finance Minister, Seth Tekper. Mr. Tekper has been charged to oversee the divestiture of the remaining listed state owned enterprises.

They include Abosso Glass Factory, Bonsa Tyre Factory, the Bolga Meat Factory, EREDEC Hotel in Koforidua, Catering Rest House at Bolgatanga and the GNTC House in Tamale.

The members of the board include Employment and Labour Relations Minister, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Trade Minister, Secretary General of the TUC, a Representative of the Ghana Armed Forces and the Chief Executive of the DIC.

The DIC began work in 1987.