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GREL pays GH¢1.35 million bonus to loyal rubber farmers
● Mr Loenel Barrre, MD GREL
The Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL) has paid GH¢1.35 million to 790 rubber outgrower farmers who have continuously sold rubber to the company.
The payment known as “Fidelity Bonus’ was to reward the rubber outgrower farmers who demonstrated total loyalty to the company by delivering rubber cup lumps to the weigh bridges and processing factories for eight consecutive months during the 2022-2023 agriculture season.
In a communique to the outgrower farmers, the GREL said it really appreciated the long-standing relationship with its outgrower farmers and the payment was to show appreciation and to boost their morale and also to encourage other outgrower farmers to be loyal to the company.
GREL started as a small private plantation established by R. T. Briscoe in 1957 at Dixcove with a plantation size of 923 hectares.
The plantation was nationalised into Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) in 1960 and later, State Farms Corporation in 1962. At that time, the rubber plantation had expanded to Abura and Subri.
The Ghana Government, in 1967, established a joint venture company with Firestone Tyre Company of USA to take over the rubber plantation. This joint venture company was Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL).
GREL became wholly state-owned in 1980 when Firestone sold its shares in GREL to the Ghana Government.
However, the Ghana Government entered into a financing agreement with the then Caisse Française de Development (CFD) now Agence Française de Development to rehabilitate and manage the company’s rubber plantation and to build a new rubber processing plant at Apimenim.
After the rehabilitation in 1996, the French management company, Societe Internationale d Plantation d’ Hevea (SIPH) became the major shareholder of the company.
By Peter Gbambila
The Vice President, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has called for stronger action to promote gender equity and create more opportunities for women in the workplace.
She made the call in a Facebook post after joining staff at the Presidency of Ghana to mark International Women’s Day.
The celebration was held under the theme “From Commitment to Action: Promoting Equity for Every Woman in the Workplace” and focused on recognising the achievements of women while reflecting on the work needed to ensure equal opportunities.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang extended warm wishes to women across Ghana and noted that women have always played key roles in the country’s communities and economic activities.
According to her, women in the past served as healers, traders and queen mothers who contributed to leadership and governance in traditional societies.
She explained that Ghana’s cultural history shows that women have long provided knowledge, leadership and innovation to help develop communities.
The Vice President however noted that current disparities require society to examine systems and structures that may have limited opportunities for women.
She stressed that advancing gender equity will require deliberate actions and the mentoring of young women to prepare them for leadership roles.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang recognised women whose work takes place in markets, streets and small trading spaces across the country.
According to her, these women form the backbone of local economies and continue to demonstrate resilience despite the difficult conditions they face.
She commended women working at the Presidency for their dedication and leadership and reaffirmed the need to promote respect, fairness and opportunity for every woman.
The Vice President further called on both men and women to work together to break barriers and ensure that women can fully contribute to Ghana’s development.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
