The Managing Director of Unilever Ghana Limited, a multinational manufacturing company, Charles Coffie has exclusively told The Statesman about their intention to continue operation even without energy supply from the Akosombo hydro electric dam. "We are not frightened by the threats of expected shut down of the Akosombo Dam whenever it takes place."

According to him, Unilever has reduced hydro power intake by 35 percent as part of its contribution to stabilise hydro electric current delivery in the country. "We have changed several gadgets, and equipments that highly consume energy and replaced them with less energy consumption equipment." He said the company now uses ballast florescent bulbs in its factories, offices and plantations, instead of the previously used conventional bulbs; that had resulted in the saving of 35% of hydro electric energy.

The company has now structured to minimise cost of production by producing much demanded products to stabilise provisions at the local markets.

Unilever now pays ¢550 million as hydro electric bills to the Electricity company of Ghana and spends US$42,000, and equivalent of ¢450 million on generating plants every month.

Charles Coffie disclosed that they had planned to purchase high powered generating plants at a cost of US$500,000 each to power their machines which could keep them in operation even if the hydro Dam is shut down.

Asked whether the assurance emanating from VRA and Government as regards the energy situation could be relied on, he said "that is not the point. Our business is to find appropriate and pragmatic measures that will keep us in business in order to serve the needs and interests of Ghanaians, but not what Government says or does to sustain energy in the country."

"As Government prepares to save the situation, we must also plan to assist for the benefit of all. Unilever during the period of 2006 recorded sales of ¢1.2 trillion and achieved a 14% growth turnover, reflecting a real underlying volume growth of 10.7%.

The consumer manufacturing giant paid a dividend of ¢1,050 per share to its 12,000 shareholders in 2006. The dividend is described as the highest in the Ghanaian corporate market. That represented a pay out of ¢65.625 billion as dividend share, representing an increase of 17.2% over 2005 figure of 73.3% of profit to shareholders. It also recorded sale of ¢1.2 trillion in the year 2006.

Unilever, The Statesman learnt had its supplies decline at a time when demand and consumption were rising. The company initially contemplated importing to make up the shortfalls but subsequently realised it could under utilise its local production capacity, which may undermine local employment. This development could undermine the positive balance of payment position which the company had worked so hard to achieve.