Diamond Cement Group has held a customer appreciation event to acknowledge its dealers, customers and distributors across the country.
Held in Accra at the Accra Marriott Hotel, about 40 customers and distributors who have partnered the company to grow the cement business in the country were honoured at a grand event which gathered top industrial players and key stakeholders in the cement industry.
In attendance were top Directors and Managers of the Diamond Cement Group and its subsidiaries led by the Group Managing Director, Mr Prasad Motaparti and the Group Chairman, Mr Mukesh Patel.
Others included Mr B.V.K Raju, General Manager-Research & Development; Mr K.S. Bhaskara Rao, Commercial Manager and Mr N. Venkatesh, Financial Controller.
Welcoming guests, K.S. Bhaskara Rao, Commercial Manager, informed that the maiden customer awards ceremony aimed at acknowledging loyal customers and distributors whose commitment have ensured the company stayed in business to grow Ghana’s cement market.
He said the Group will continue to appreciate loyal customers in every part of the country it operates.
Delivering his address, the Group Managing Director, Mr Prasad Motaparti, expressed the Group’s delight to host its partners whose businesses have complemented their huge investments and particularly praised Ghanaians for their support.
He said the success of Diamond Cement belongs to Ghanaians.
Such support, he noted, has informed the Group’s continuous investment in the economy.
He recalled the acquisition and reviving of the ailing Tema Steel Works of the Ghana Industrial Holding (GIHOC) now known as Tema Steel Company Ltd which has now transformed Ghana from an importer to exporter of steel.
The Diamond Cement Group has invested in cement factories including Diamond Cement Ghana Ltd (DCGL) in Aflao, Savanna Diamond Cement Ltd (SDCL)-Buipe which has an attachment of the first clinker factory in Ghana with the capacity to refine/upgrade limestone to produce clinker and the Western Diamond Cement Ltd (WDCL) – which employs the latest manufacturing processes with the use of a vertical rolling mill technology that produces better quality cement.
Mr. Motaparti further mentioned the investment in the establishment of substations including Aflao Substation (25MW) cost born by Diamond Cement Group and ECG and the Buipe Substation established in collaboration with GRIDCO – a three-phase supply with a capacity of 25MW.
The company uses only 7MW of the 25MW, and the remaining 18MW available for the region all as a form of a Public Private Participation.
The WDCL & ECG jointly laid an electric line in which the WDCL contributed $USD 0.5 million for the line apart from facilitating to raise an additional $2 million for funding the project.
Also the construction of the railway line connecting Port of Lome and DCGL in fulfilment of the Group’s long-cherished dream concept of interconnecting the railways of the ECOWAS countries was mentioned among the Group’s feats.
He said Group is also committed to supporting the development of the three regions it operates in the areas of education and health with the construction of classrooms, boreholes and provision of direct and indirect employment for over 5,000 people.
He added that the Diamond Cement Group also makes a huge financial contribution to the state in terms of direct and indirect taxes with an annual contribution of Gh. 250 million.
The Executive Secretary of the Cement Manufacturers Association of Ghana (CMAG), Rev. Dr. George Dawson-Ahmoah, who was present to endorse the awards ceremony noted that loyal customers of the company deserved recognition confirming that “indeed due to their loyalty the Diamond Cement Group has become a force to reckon with as far as the cement industry is concerned. Diamond Cement is a member of CMAG and their commitment to the Association is unmatched.”
He seized the occasion to commend the Diamond Cement Group for their exploit in further refining local limestone for the production of local clinker which is the biggest component in the production of cement.
“Such uniqueness deserves praise as it embraces local content policy and value addition as encouraged by Government,” he said.
He further appealed to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to consider such achievements and consider local Cement Manufacturers when awarding licensing for the mining of local limestone concessions.
He also applauded Government for passing a legislative instrument in 2016 which has restricted the importation of bagged cement into the country, with the resultant effect being a reduction in the importation of bagged cement from China by about 97 per cent.
Award Recipients
National Awards went to Atala Limited, K. Ofori Limited, Bernet Enterprise, Asiru Dawuda Enterprise and D.K. Korankye Group of Companies. Other regional recipients were: Fair Life Enterprise, Kwasi Oppong Company Ltd, Nana K. Gyasi Company Ltd, Mississippi top Ventures, Danelo Enterprise, Sandas investment Ltd, Buckson Enterprise.
