Accra, June 2, GNA - Power outage, preference for foreign products, high taxes and inadequate supply of water have been identified as some of the problems facing carton manufacturing industries. Mr Surendra M. Chopra, Managing Director of Poly Group including Poly Kraft Ghana Limited, said if those problems were addressed, companies would be able increase production, employ more people and reduce waste in their production.

Mr Chopra made this known when Mr Kofi Osei Ameyaw, Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry toured Poly Kraft factory in Tema on Thursday. The tour was to afford the Minister the opportunity to acquaint himself with the processes, problems and other production issues facing the industry.

Poly Kraft produces cartons for the country largest firms, including Unilever, Pioneer Foods Company, Nestle, Coca-Cola and PZ Cussons. Mr Chopra appealed to the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) to waive taxes on their products as well as ensure that Valued Added Tax returns were received on time to facilitate their work.

Mr Chopra said Polykraft said despite those problems, the company continues to be one of the leading firms in carton manufacturing in the country and the sub-region with staff strength of 200.

He therefore urged the Ministry to take a look at their concerns raised to ensure that they compete with other foreign firms. He noted that most small firms patronized their products but turn to go foreign when they expanded.

He said his firm, which provides 40 per cent of carton manufactured in the country, provides credit facilities to its customers but most of them do not respect the terms of offer given.

Mr Chopra pledged to continue to offer excellent services to clients within and outside Ghana.

Mr Ebboe E. Botwe Customer Service Manager, Poly Group said due to the excellent performance of his company, it had won an international bidding, saying, "this goes to show that we are doing well." He mentioned Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso as some of the countries, which benefited from its 1,200 metric tonnes of their products exported monthly.

Mr Ameyaw lauded the work done by the company and urged them to strive to achieve excellence to attract more indigenous firms to patronize their product.

He told the Poly Kraft to ensure that quality marches with prices saying, "if we have situation where local manufacturers' products are of high prices then we would have some problems." The deputy Minister however, assured Poly Kraft that the concerns raised would be addressed by his Ministry. June 2, 05