Stephen Odoi-Larbi
4 December 2008
Mixed reactions often greet the statement that there is a computer company that manufactures computers locally in Ghana.
When most people hear this, some normally take it with either a pinch of salt or with some sort of skepticism while some are astounded with excitement.
It is similar to the "it's impossible", kind of reaction you would receive if you had told someone that a black man can become the President of the United States of America a few years ago or even months back.
Today that is now history with the landslide victory of Barak Obama at the recent presidential polls in America to become the first ever African American President of the United States of America. This is proof positive that anything is possible and a lesson that Africa should have faith more in herself now like never before.
Omatek computers Ghana Limited with its factory located right in the heart of Accra assemble Computers locally. The factory has paid host to a lot of prospective clients, resellers, corporate organizations, schools and Government officials to showcase its ultra - modern factory.
Largely through tours to its facilities, it has been able to lay to rest doubts and to build confidence about the brand and the capacity of the factory to meet the demand for local and foreign orders for computers.
The Omatek factory which produces for not only the Ghanaian market but for the other African markets has an installed capacity to manufacture a minimum of 300 PCs per shift, over 500 units of speakers and 420 units of OCL casings.
This volume of production, according to the General Manager of the company, Mr. Kobina Jackson will service adequately the demand for systems within the hub, Ghana, West Africa and the other Regions of Africa.
"In order to reduce the digital divide in the country Omatek Computers Ghana in partnership with Government had recently launched its e-Xpress consumer scheme to make computer acquisition easy and affordable, "he said.
This scheme has been widely publicized by the IT organization to ensure that no Ghanaian missed the salient message of the opportunity that it offers to everyone and for which there has been massive response from the general public.
Under the scheme, civil servants, corporate executives, organizations, educational institutions and students would be able to acquire computers through a 12 to 24 month payment plan with partnering banks.
The scheme forms part of Government's i-ADVANCE project, which is a Government Assisted Purchase Programme, launched in August 2006.
Since its launch two years ago, the i-ADVANCE project has helped to make available over 21,000 computers, both desktops and laptops.
Dr Aggrey-Ntim had expressed that "It is our hope that the partnership with Omatek will help multiply several times the number of computers available to students, civil servants and public institutions, stating that the initiative would impact positively on education, job creation and employment, which were necessary for accelerating the country's development.
Whatever would accentuate and make the dream of our country become one of the first amongst equals in the information and technological world would be a highly welcomed development.
The Government for instance, may have to take a second look into the appeal by Mrs Florence Seriki, Group Managing Director of Omatek Ventures, to reconsider the duties charged on the importation of information technology equipment and raw materials, especially the completely knocked down components, to make the cost of computers affordable for the end users.
According to Mrs. Seriki, a reduction in Value Added Tax charged on IT consumables will also encourage more investments in the ICT sector while imploring Government to do more for the sector by policy pronouncements that would encourage State Institutions to patronize locally assembled computers.
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