President John Mahama has commended the First Sky Group for its contribution to national development and reaffirmed government’s commitment to supporting capable Ghanaian-owned companies to drive economic growth.
He said strengthening indigenous enterprises was critical to increasing the country’s Gross National Product (GNP), which measures the value of goods and services produced by citizens, rather than focusing solely on Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The President made the remarks at an interdenominational thanksgiving service in Accra to mark the 23rd anniversary of the First Sky Group.
The service, themed “Proclaiming the Mighty Deeds of the Lord” (Psalm 71:15–16), was attended by clergy, government officials, business executives, and the Group’s staff.
President Mahama said deliberate support for competent indigenous companies was key to ensuring that national development benefited Ghanaians.
He recalled that during his previous administration, priority was given to qualified local construction firms for Government-funded projects, leading to several Ghanaian companies achieving international standards.
The President cited First Sky Group as one of the beneficiaries of that policy, describing the company as reliable and committed to quality delivery.
He also commended the Group for diversifying into sectors including hospitality, commodities, energy and insurance, noting that the expansion created jobs and strengthened the local economy.
On healthcare, President Mahama praised the Group’s philanthropic support for dialysis treatment and kidney transplants, describing it as complementary to the Government’s Mahama CARE initiative.
He said government had allocated GH¢2.1 billion to the Mahama CARE programme to support the treatment of non-communicable diseases, including stroke, kidney failure and cancer.
The President attributed Ghana’s recent economic recovery to divine grace, citing reduced inflation, appreciation of the cedi and improved fiscal performance.
Delivering the welcome address, Mr Eric Seddy Kutortse, Executive Chairman of First Sky Group, said the company’s 23-year journey had been sustained by God’s grace.
He said the Group was founded to serve Ghana, humanity and God, with a focus on job creation and national development.
Mr Kutortse said the Group employed more than 6,000 people nationwide and operated in construction, insurance, hospitality, commodities, energy, bitumen processing and rural banking.
He said First Sky Energies would complete a 50-megawatt solar photovoltaic power plant at Yendi in the Northern Region by the end of March, describing it as the first fully Ghanaian-owned utility-scale solar project.
Mr Kutortse said the project would supply power to the national grid and create more than 300 jobs.
He said the Group had committed over GH¢51 million in the past eight years to support dialysis patients at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and sponsored six kidney transplants last year.
The Reverend Alex Sujith of the Thames North Assemblies of God, United Kingdom, urged Christians to adopt thanksgiving as a lifestyle.
He delivered messages of peace, unity, and hope for the nation and the First Sky Group.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com
