Fan Milk boss decries fuel subsidy removal, counterfeiting

MANAGING Director of Fan Milk Plc, Mr. Steen Hadsbjerg, at the weekend identified epileptic power supply, planned removal of petroleum subsidy as well as increased activities of counterfeiters as serious problems threatening industrial growth in Nigeria.The company boss lamented that the problem of epileptic power supply has forced surviving companies in the country to invest huge amount of money on power generating sets and purchase of diesel.Hadsbjerg, who spoke in Ibadan while presenting gift items to Juvenile Remand Home and Child Care Unit as part of the activities lined up for the 50th anniversary of the nation's oldest diary firm said, ' the harsh economy is affecting businesses in the country. We need uninterrupted power supply to preserve our raw materials but to be able to do this we spent about N110 million in power project. You know that all our products are frozen and we need to keep them in good condition so as to preserve them.'Though the population of Nigeria was about eight times that of Ghana, the company is on the same scale of development with Nigeria. This was due to the harsh business terrain in the country.'Hadsbjerg, who was represented at the event by the General Manager, Mogen Jewen, although the planned removal of petroleum subsidy would not directly affect his organisation, since it solely depends on diesel to power its equipment; consumers of its products would be adversely affected.On why the company decided to mark its 50th anniversary by visiting the remand home, Jewen explained that the Fan Milk products were largely for the children and the gesture was a way of celebrating with its consumers. Again, he said that the Juveniles Remand Home was chosen so as to give the inmates that comprised the abandoned, orphans and the physically challenged children a gesture of love.He adds, 'At 50, Fan Milk is going out between now and November 5 to see what we can contribute to the society. This is our own way of giving back to the society. We chose this home because we see that these children feel abandoned but we want them to feel happy and loved. We are not doing this in Ibadan alone but also in the East and North.'The GM, who said that the company was already producing different range of food products that could be consumed and nourishing to adults, added that the secret of its success in the past years was devotion to quality.Apart from sharing the 50th anniversary cake, gift items such as beverages, rice, spaghetti, tissue papers and more were presented to the home with different range of the company's product distributed among the inmates.
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