ABURA CITRUS PLANTATION: MENSAH BEING SHOWN AROUND THE PLANTATION: MENSAH INSPECTING FRUIT: SIGNBOARD "GHANA RUBBER ESTATE": MENSAH AT RUBBER PLANTATION: RUBBER BEING PROCESSED, WATCHED BY MENSAH: MENSAH AT BONSASO TYRE FACTORY: MENSAH AT NSUTA MANGANESE FACTORY: MENSAH AT TARKWA GOLD MINE: MENSAH AT ABOSO GLASS FACTORY, WHERE HE SIGNS VISITORS' BOOK.




Initials WW/VS/AE/JKP



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Background: GHANA'S COMMISSIONER FOR FINANCE, MR J H MENSAH, LAST WEEK (27 JULY) COMPLETED A TOUR OF THE WESTERN REGION OF THE COUNTRY IN WHICH HE VISITED A NUMBER OF INDUSTRIES. HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE REGIONAL CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MR A A AMPOFO.

AT A CITRUS PLANTATION AT ABURA, NEAR TAKORADI, MR MENSAH WAS TAKEN AROUND BY THE GENERAL MANAGER OF GHANA RUBBER ESTATES LIMITED, MR J H MEARNS THE RUBBER COMPANY RUNS THE FARM, WHICH, WITH A LABOUR FORCE OF 48, COVERS ABOUT 525 ACRES (210 HECTARES).

THE COMMISSIONER NEXT VISITED ABURA RUBBER PLANTATION, WHICH IS OWNED BY GHANA RUBBER ESTATES LIMITED. THIS PLANTATION COVERS ABOUT 20,000 ACRES (8,000 HECTARES) AND HAS 300 TAPPERS WORKING ON IT. IT PRODUCES ABOUT 3,500 LB (1,590 KILOGRAMS) OF DRY RUBBER A DAY. MR MENSAH SAW HOW THE RAW RUBBER WAS TAPPED FROM THE TREES, AND WAS SHOWN DRY RUBBER READY TO BE SENT TO FIRESTONE GHANA LIMITED'S FACTORY AT BONSASO, WHICH HE VISITED NEXT. HERE HE SAW THE PRODUCTION OF TYRES FOR LORRIES.

AFTER BONSASO, MR MENSAH THEN WENT TO NSUTA, WHERE HE SAW THE WORKINGS OF THE AFRICAN MANGANESE COMPANY, WHICH EMPLOYS ABOUT 1,300 PEOPLE. THE COMPANY IS ONE OF THE OLDEST IN GHANA, HAVING BEEN ESTABLISHED 53 YEARS AGO.

NEXT ON MR MENSAH'S ITINERARY WAS TARKWA GOLD MINE, A SUBSIDIARY OF THE STATE GOLD MINING CORPORATION. A NEW SHAFT SUNK BY THE CORPORATION WILL COST 1,000.000 NEW CEDIS (ABOUT GBP500,000 STERLING).

THE COMMISSIONER FINALLY TOURED THE NEW GLASS FACTORY AT ABOSO, WHICH COST 9,000,000 NEW CEDIS (ABOUT GBP4,500,000 STERLING). THE FACTORY, WHICH EMPLOYS ABOUT 425 PEOPLE, PRODUCES 18,000,000 BOTTLES OF ASSORTED SHAPES AND SIZES A YEAR.