Rikpat appeals for patronage of products, make 1D1F impactful

The Rikpat Company Limited, producers of SeaHorse lubricants and industrial oils, says its focus is to adequately serve the Ghanaian industrial, automobile and transport industry with quality lubricants.

Management of the company say it produces one of the best lubricants on the Ghanaian market and, therefore, needs to be patronised to make government’s industrialisation drive impactful.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as part of the One District One Factory (1D1F) flagship programme, commissioned the Rikpat Company Limited in September 2022, to produce lubricants.

He urged the public to patronise the products to expand the company’s capacity for enhanced employment opportunities and reduce unemployment.

The wholly Ghanaian-owned lubricant manufacturing company produces multi-grade and mono-grade oil with variety of options for diesel and petrol vehicles.

It is suitable for commercial, industry and heavy-duty cars, at competitive prices to most state institutions like the State Transport Company, Metro Mass Transit, Volta River Authority and the Electricity Company of Ghana.

However, the company is saddled with challenges of policy implementation under the 1D1F Policy, where government, through the Ministry of Trade and Industry, is supposed to grant tax exemptions on import duties by factories, but it was yet to benefit from this.

Mr Patrick Amoah, the Managing Director of the Company, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said import duty had been a major challenge for the company and appealed to the Government, through MoTI, to adopt a flexible payment method for 1D1F companies at the ports.

The measure, he said would reduce high cost of production, improve cashflow of the company, and enable it to expand to serve the Ghanaian automobile industry.

Notwithstanding this, the company prioritises the safety of vehicles hence produces high quality standard lubricants that meet specifications for all engine types, both new and old.

Its products include oils for engines, gears, compressors, hydraulics, ATF, power steering, coolant, and industrial lubricants certified by the Ghana Standards Authority.

“We care about the life span of vehicles, so we don’t compromise on quality…. all products have been approved by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA),” Mr Amoah said.

Rikpat started as an enterprise in 1990 with the importation of automotive accessories to the Ghanaian market, however, it decided to venture into manufacturing of lubricant in 2017 under the 1D1F policy.

It has the capacity to create about 400 direct jobs but currently employs only 70.

Mr Amoah said the company supported the President’s vision of making Ghana a centre of manufacturing excellence with the aim of creating youth employment, reducing import and enhancing the country’s foreign reserve.