New Board of Directors for Graphic inaugurated

The new Board of Directors for the Graphic Communications Group Ltd, the country's leading newspaper producer, was inaugurated in Accra on Thursday with an appeal to members to strengthen the company's functions to enhance its operations.

Nutifafa Kuenyehia, Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), who inaugurated the board, which would be in office for two years, said a new strategy for the Graphic Packaging Limited (GPL) was to extend its reach to other West African countries, move into security printing and position itself to publish about 60 percent of the country's textbooks.

He said in spite of the private radio stations reading the contents of the paper each morning, posing serious challenges to the industry, the Daily Graphic had maintained its leading position as the most authoritative and credible newspaper in the country.

"The Mirror continues its dominance over all the other weeklies." He said provisional turnover for 2002 was 11 percent higher than 2001 and net profit more than 100 percent higher was achieved through controlling production cost.

Members of the new board, with Professor Kwame Gyekye, Head of the Philosophy Department, University of Ghana, Legon, as Chairman include Mike Adjei, a journalist, Nana Amba Eyiaba, a Queenmother and Educationist, Isaac De Graft Johnson, an engineer and Kafui Asem, a journalist and public relations consultant.

The rest are Ebenezer M. Boye, a chartered accountant, Michael Mahama Asigri, a consultant, the Rev. David Dartey, a management consultant and clergyman, and Berifi Apenteng, Managing Director of Graphic.

Kuenyehia said over 20 billion cedis provided from the company's own resources was invested over the last two years in new machines to shift the emphasis from gravure to offset printing.

"The Graphic Communications Group Ltd is indeed a living testimony of a state media enterprise which has achieved positive results following progressive and attainable policies over the years."

He called on the National Communications Authority (NCA) to issue Graphic with the necessary license as soon as possible to enable it to operate FM radio stations on commercial broadcasting basis.

Kuenyehia commended the outgoing board for the high standards they had established to make the newspaper more balanced, objective and critical of issues of national interest erasing the view held by many about the Graphic as a "Government Newspaper".

He cautioned the new board not to attempt to meddle in the day-to-day management of the company but should harness their rich backgrounds, expertise and experience to provide the policy direction for the company.

Alex T. Quarmyne, Chairman of the outgoing Board, said they were grateful for the opportunity to have served the country through Graphic by providing policy direction and support to enable management and staff to do their work and pursue the mission of the organization.

He said this led to the refurbishment of the headquarters, the restructuring of the organization, continuing training and introduction of new technologies.

He urged the new board to which two former members had been retained to exhibit mutual respect and consideration by carefully listening to each other and taking their decisions through consensus.

Prof Gyekye, said they would institute productive policies and measures that would enhance the fortunes of the company and help it to maintain its lead. He thanked the NMC and government for the trust reposed in them adding that they would live up to expectation.

Berifi Apenteng, Managing Director of the Company, expressed his gratitude for the support and efforts of the outgoing board adding that they were extremely valuable leading to the many achievement chalked by the company.

He expressed the hope that the new board with their rich experiences would support and lead the company to the level that would be appreciated by all.