Mr Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, Minister of Trade and Industry has inaugurated a seven-member Board of GRATIS Foundation to act as the pivot around, which Ghana’s industrialization agenda will revolve.

He said unlike the GRATIS of old, the new Board must scale up interventions for public and private enterprises to thrive.

The Board Members, who have been re-appointed to serve a second term, are: Dr Richard Amoako Baah, Chairperson; Mr Ntim Kofi Adjei, Chief Executive GRATIS Foundation and Member; Mr Emmanuel Effah Preko, Member, Mr Collins Owusu Amankwaah, Member.

The rest are: Madam Diana Frimpong Manso, Member; Madam Abena Nyarko Antwi, Member and Mr Emmanuel Agyei Anhwere, Member.
Mr Kyerematen congratulated them and said their re-appointment signified President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s confidence in them to take the Foundation to higher heights.

GRATIS Foundation was established in the late 1980s by Ghana Government with support from the European Union to train young men and women to acquire skills and become self-employed particularly in the area of artisanship.

It was also set up to develop appropriate technologies to support the agricultural sector.

The Minister said Government, since 2017, had embarked on an aggressive industrialization programme to make Ghana the new manufacturing hub for Africa.

He said the for a new vision of an industrialized Ghana to be achieved, the Foundation needed to be restructured, re-branded, and resourced to fit into the current times.

Dr Richard Amoako Baah, the Chairperson, on behalf of the Board expressed appreciation to the President and sector Minister for granting them another term of office.

He called on the Ministry to assist them with the needed resources to make their work successful.