Accra, Oct. 19, GNA - DHL Ghana Limited, the first courier company in the country would by July 2005, establish a multipurpose gateway facility at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to offer a 24 hour customs clearance and bonded warehousing services.

The facility to cost about one million dollars, would also operate an Express Logistics Centre (ELC), the very first one at the KIA, to enable the DHL become the best logistics and supply chain solutions provider ahead of its competitors.

Dr Edmond Prempeh, Founding Director of DHL Ghana, said this at the launch of the Company's 20th anniversary celebrations in Accra on Tuesday.

He said DHL was the clear market leader with nearly 50 per cent market share in addition to more than 1,600 account and regular cash shippers, operating in many towns all over the country.

"With a large array of innovative products such as Import Express, Mining Express, Conference Express, Special Clearance Service and Insurance, DHL Ghana Limited is the one stop shop for air-express users and in recent times Air and Ocean Freight users," he said.

Dr Prempeh said since customers' needs had become much more sophisticated requiring more tailored solutions, it had become necessary for DHL to operate its own local air-network making it the second biggest air-operator at the KIA.

In support of social services, he said DHL had raised over 100 million cedis in aid of the Weija Leprosarium and had established self-sustaining micro projects such as corn mills and cassava graters in the Volta, Northern and Central Regions.

DHL was first formed in 1969 by three Americans: Dalsey, Hillblom and Lynn and by 1984 it had expanded its operations in over 100 countries including Ghana.

Activities lined up for the 20th anniversary celebrations include a donation to the Ghana Heart Foundation, award to its employees and customers and a motivational package of 50 million cedis to the Ghana Education Service Model Nursery School.