GIHOC Distilleries Limited has initiated a comprehensive “Reset Agenda” targeting its substantial GH¢427 million debt burden while aiming to restore growth and industrial leadership.
Chief Executive Officer Jones Borteye Applerh announced the strategy during a media tour of the company’s facilities, framing it as a fundamental shift towards discipline, efficiency, and tangible results.
Applerh stated the company currently operates below 40% efficiency, hampered by ageing machinery dating to 1964 and chronic raw material shortages that halted production. This caused flagship brands to vanish from the market. Debts are owed to multiple entities including the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), SSNIT, MASLOC, and various suppliers.
Despite these challenges, Applerh reported significant progress within his first three months. GIHOC has acquired 2.6 million bottles, reinstated its bottle return policy, secured stable ethanol supplies, and repaired critical long-idle machinery. Full production has resumed on lines like the G Tot sachet operation, running continuously. Applerh linked this recovery to President John Mahama’s national 24-hour economy directive, asserting GIHOC is well-positioned to contribute.
The CEO detailed a three-phase revival plan. Immediate efforts focus on operational stabilisation through rigorous audits, strict cost controls, and renegotiating debts with major creditors like GRA, SSNIT, and MASLOC. Medium-term goals involve rebranding core products such as Takai and Sorento Wine, restarting exports within ECOWAS, and reopening the Kumasi water bottling plant.
Long-term ambitions include exploring a new distillery in the Volta Region, reviving the defunct Aboso Glass Factory for local bottle production, and establishing a dedicated logistics fleet. Applerh pledged the transformation would be guided by principles of transparency, meritocracy, inclusivity, and youth empowerment, aligning with national industrial goals.
Concluding his address, Applerh issued a rallying call for collective commitment from staff, investors, suppliers, distributors, and customers. He emphasized GIHOC’s revival requires widespread trust and partnership, inviting scrutiny as the company implements its reset strategy.
