Culinary industry appeals to government to waive taxes

Mrs Efua Goode Obeng Kyei, the Director of EKGS Culinary Institute at the weekend appealed to government to waive taxes on the tools and equipment used in the sector.

This according to her would make the equipment affordable for fresh graduate to set up their own enterprises.

Mrs Kyei said the sector was faced with high cost and proliferation of tools and equipment on the market, and that the tax waiver would also help eliminate fake tools and equipment in the culinary industry.

The Director of the Institute made the appeal at the 40th graduation and 20th anniversary of the Institute in Accra.

The students went through six months intensive training in cake making decoration with sugar arts, pastry arts, cookery arts, balloon, ribbon and floral decoration arts among others.

The programme was on the theme; "Twenty Years of Empowering the Youth through Skills Training: The EKGS Experience".

She called on government to make credit available and at reasonable interest rate to players in the Culinary sector to expand their business to enable them train more youth.

Mrs Kyei said the Institute started 20 years back with five students, but with determination and hard work, the Institute had trained over 6,000, some of who are working in leading hospitality companies, both in the country and beyond.

The EKGS Director said she was inspired by the feedback from clients about her creativity and innovation to meet the needs of a dynamic clientele.

"Our watchword is perfection and in the training of our students, we leave nothing to chance in order not to compromise on the quality we are noted for.

“Our teaching methodology ensures that our students excel wherever they find themselves after graduation," she added.

 

She said the Institute was poised to train and empower the youth to be self-reliant, resourceful, and useful to themselves and the society as well.

"We seek to make the youth employable by training them to acquire skills in the sector. Our focus is to encourage students to become entrepreneurs and to reduce unemployment in the country," she said.

She said the Institute was decorated at the West Africa Magazine's Excellence Awards as the best culinary organization.

Mrs Kyei said the Institute was also granted permission to teach the Wilton Method in the country by the U. S. industry giant, Wilton International.

She said the Institute has been featuring in cake shows in US and the United Kingdom because of its focus on quality and best practices.

She advised the graduates to avoid laziness, procrastination and the desire to get rich quick but focus on their creativity to excel in life.

Mr Joseph Amartey, the Executive Director, Tourism Society of Ghana said the industry plays a significant role in creating job opportunities for the teeming youth.

He said the sector when harnessed effectively, would meet government agenda of 'Ghana Beyond Aid'.

Mr Amartey posited that, it was imperative for the country to add values to its raw materials to expand and export more for foreign exchange.

He advised the graduates to be determined and set goals for themselves to make the best in the field of competitive market.

Ms Freda Stephanie Essel on behalf of the students thanked management of the Institute for impacting knowledge to them.

She pledged their resolve to make a mark in the field of work and promised to adhere to the advice from the resource persons and contribute their quota in national development.

Certificates were presented to students who had distinguished themselves in the discharge of their academic excellence.