Mukesh V. Thakwani, Founder and CEO of B5 Plus Limited, discusses some of the main challenges faced by the iron and steel sectors in Ghana, as well as his company. He also talked about the impacts of COVID-19 on B5 Plus Ltd and the industry, and explains how thinking outside of the box during those tough times led the company to implement many improvements.

“For the industry as a whole, the biggest challenge we are having right now is the electricity prices. Electricity prices in Ghana are much higher compared to the international markets. We have competition with tough countries from Asia where the price of electricity is much lower compared to that of Ghana. There is also the issue of the timely supply of electricity for the new industries and challenges with the water supply”, says Mukesh V. Thakwani.

“COVID-19 has affected many industries and the steel industry was not left out. We had our own challenges, from manpower to health issues. There was the challenge with the regular supply of electricity and water. The Ghanaian government has done a commendable job in these difficult times. We are proud to say that Ghana has come out as a winner. In the near future, COVID-19 will be a thing of the past here. For the last six months, we have been giving free oxygen supply to all government and private hospitals. We have also given a lot of donations to the government and private individuals, whatever we could do. Collectively, there were very good efforts made by the Ghanaian government, Ghanaian companies, and individuals. Today, we are blessed that Ghana is comparatively a much safer zone. In the near future, we will be able to put COVID-19 behind us”, he added.