Manufacturers of sachet water packaging materials have called on the government to provide urgent support to sustain the industry, after deciding to maintain current prices despite escalating production costs.

The appeal was made by President of the Ghana Plastic Manufacturers’ Association, Ebbo Botwe, during a press conference held in Accra on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.

Mr. Botwe disclosed that producers had initially considered increasing prices due to the rising cost of polymers used in manufacturing sachet packaging. However, the association resolved to hold prices steady in recognition of sachet water as an essential commodity relied upon by millions of Ghanaians.

“We are incurring losses by maintaining the old prices, but given that sachet water is a basic necessity for over 33 million Ghanaians, we have chosen to absorb the shock in the national interest,” he stated.

He added that the decision to maintain current prices would remain in effect for at least one to two months, despite mounting financial pressure on manufacturers.

Mr. Botwe expressed hope that the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry would relay the industry’s concerns to the President, with a view to securing relief measures to cushion producers.

The association further indicated that the move is expected to ease pressure on sachet water producers and help stabilise prices for consumers in the short term.

The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, Stephen Blewett, has been awarded 21,382 shares in MTN Group valued at approximately R4.12 million (US$252,000), under the company’s Performance Share Plan 2010.

In the same scheme, Chief Financial Officer Antoinette Kwofie received 13,660 shares worth about R2.63 million (US$160,000). Both executives serve as directors of Scancom Ghana PLC, the operator of MTN’s business in Ghana.

According to a group announcement issued on April 7, 2026, the share awards were transacted on March 31, 2026, at a market price of R192.50 per share. The incentives are subject to performance conditions and will vest over a three-year period.

Also benefiting locally, Sugentharen Perumal, a director of Scancom Ghana PLC, received 35,436 shares valued at approximately R6.82 million (US$415,000).

Broader Group Awards

Across the wider group, senior executives received significantly larger allocations under the same long-term incentive scheme.

MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita was awarded 207,633 shares valued at about R39.97 million (US$2.43 million), the largest allocation disclosed. Group Chief Financial Officer Tsholofelo Molefe received 111,931 shares worth approximately R21.55 million (US$1.31 million).

Senior Vice President for Markets, Ebenezer Asante, was granted 120,880 shares valued at R23.27 million (US$1.42 million).

Other beneficiaries include Ferdinand Moolman, who received shares worth R20.13 million, as well as Paul Norman and Yolanda Cuba, whose allocations were valued at R10.84 million and R12.07 million respectively.

Vesting Terms and Compliance

MTN indicated that all recipients have met the company’s Minimum Shareholding Requirements. The awards, classified as off-market share allocations, will vest on December 10, 2028—an accelerated timeline aligned with the original grant date of December 10, 2025.

The company noted that all beneficiaries hold direct beneficial interests in the shares.

The announcement was published via the Johannesburg Stock Exchange News Service, with Tamela Holdings Proprietary Limited serving as lead sponsor and J.P. Morgan Equities Proprietary Limited acting as joint sponsor.

Kwahu, April 4, 2026 – President John Dramani Mahama has affirmed that political affiliation will not influence contract awards under his government’s flagship road rehabilitation initiative, the “Big Push.”

Speaking at the Kwahu Easter Business Forum at the Kwahu Convention Centre, the President said he resisted pressure from within his own National Democratic Congress (NDC) support base to exclude contractors perceived to be aligned with the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

“Don’t they have the capacity to do the job?” President Mahama asked, emphasizing that technical and financial competence—not political loyalty—remains the overriding criterion for project awards.

He added: “They have the equipment. They employ Ghanaians. Anybody who has the capacity to move the project should be given it. For me, it is not about who does the project. The credit is that at the end of my term of office, I was able to repair all those roads.”

The President described the Big Push initiative as a major national road rehabilitation programme expected to cover more than 2,000 kilometres of roads across Ghana. He warned that the politicisation of business has historically hampered private sector growth, particularly during government transitions.

“Many companies start and because Ghana is a democratic country, potentially every eight years there is a changeover in government. Often, if a business is seen to be associated with one party or another, victimisation begins,” he said.

President Mahama also advised entrepreneurs against building businesses solely around government contracts, noting that such models leave firms vulnerable to political shifts.

The issue of political neutrality in business was echoed by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, through remarks delivered by MP Jerry Ahmed Shaib, who warned that politicising local enterprises undermines competitiveness, stifles innovation, and benefits foreign firms at the expense of indigenous businesses.

Now in its third edition, the Kwahu Easter Business Forum was established by President Mahama and Chief of Staff Julius Debrah to foster dialogue on private sector growth and investment, bringing together entrepreneurs, bankers, heads of state-owned enterprises, and senior officials to strategize on expanding Ghana’s business landscape.