We have not paid Shatta Wale GH ¢ 2 million – Ghana Exim Bank

Business news for Friday, September 11, 2020

Source: Class FM

2020-09-11

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Ghana Export-Import Bank’s management has denied having paid dancehall artist Shatta Wale GH ¢ 2 million as a made in Ghana brand ambassador for the bank.

“We wish to state categorically that no amounts of such magnitude have been paid to any ambassador or influencer,” said a statement from the bank on Thursday, September 10, 2020.

The accusation of the payment was first made by Kumbumgu MP Ras Mubarak at Wednesday’s Public Accounts Committee hearing on the bank’s operations between 2015 and 2017.

The bank, however, said: “The issues raised by the Auditor General’s report within the indicated period did not include any elements in the bank’s planned campaign to promote Made-in-Ghana products.”

“However, as a forward-thinking policy and development bank, we seek to invest in our people and businesses while projecting our very core as a brand that facilitates international trade for and on behalf of Ghana.

“Our strategic interventions in the Ghanaian economy can be determined by the number of projects and initiatives that have been funded since 2017,” the bank said.

He added: “We would like to affirm that, part of GEXIM’s mandate is to help promote locally produced goods and services to improve export income generation, help reduce imports, add value to raw materials for export and create employment in the country.

“In view of this national call, the bank, on Sunday August 30, 2020, launched a campaign called: Made-in-Ghana 4P.

“4P means encouraging Ghanaians to produce, promote and purchase Ghanaian made products and services so that we can prosper as a people and a nation.”

The bank noted that “to scale this campaign up and in line with promoting Ghanaian made products and services,” it followed “established procurement procedures” and “recruited renowned Ghanaian artists as brand ambassadors. and influencers. ” .

These artists are Mr. Kofi Adu (Agya Koo) and Nii Armah Mensah (Shatta Wale).

“They are known for their exemplary and award-winning feats within our local creative arts industry and have earned international recognition for their craft.

“Their role, in short, is to provide support, credibility and faith in the Made-in-Ghana agenda, which is a point of personal passion for them individually as well.”

“These renowned brand ambassadors will use their scale, brand equity, leverage and the pool of their fan bases to gain the necessary acceptance, adoption and participation by Ghanaians in the 4P Made-in-Ghana campaign for products of the entities that we are lending money so that they return it and also to stimulate the whole culture of purchase and use of Made-in-Ghana products in the country ”.

“The bank has not distributed ¢ 2 million GH to Shatta Wale.”

“This accusation is objectively incorrect and misleading.”