Yeo Ziobeieton speaking with GISE participants
Managing Director of Fan Milk Ghana Ltd., Yeo Ziobeieton, has urged producers to focus more on local material sourcing for their products.
According to him, this was a more sustainable way of producing indicating that it also helps the economy grow over time.
Mr. Ziobeieton was speaking at the Ghana Industrial Summit and Exhibition (GISE) organised by the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), on the theme, “Industrialisation Through Sustainable and Efficient Supply Chain.”
Addressing participants on the topic, “Building Resilient Supply Chain Through Local Sourcing”, Mr. Ziobeieton said Fan Milk started local sourcing of its packaging materials in 2019 just before the COVID-19 pandemic.
He indicated that because their source was local, they were able to continue production when others who were importing their products had to halt because the boarders were closed.
“So we actually started the journey of localization in 2019, thank God just before COVID and I am happy to say that today we are buying 95% of the packaging material locally. The 5%, I can tell you is a material with specific technology and we are looking forward to someone who can invest locally so that we move and make it 100%,” he said.
Mr. Ziobeieton said most of the big multinationals that are operating on the African continent started by transforming the excess raw material that were available in their countries.
He, thus, urged participants and manufactures to start looking at innovative ways of adding value to the excess raw materials in the country like coconut to enhance local sourcing.
“There are many partners that will see the opportunities and together we can start writing the chapter of localizing a lot of the raw materials”, he said.
Mr. Ziobeieton also called on the government to create the enabling environment for investments into a sustainable supply chain.
“I would like to call on the government, ECOWAS and AfCFTA to join hands with us to create an environment that is conducive to a sustainable and efficient supply chain.
I urge us to consider policies that encourage companies that have decided to prioritise local sourcing and sustainability,” he added.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri
