COCA-COLA'S ACTIVITIES IN GHANA: FOLLOW-UP ON AWARD FOR

UNCLAS ACCRA 001341 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EIND EFIN GH SUBJECT: COCA-COLA'S ACTIVITIES IN GHANA: FOLLOW-UP ON AWARD FOR CORPORATE EXCELLENCE NOMINATION REF: SECSTATE 125948 ¶1. SUMMARY. This follow-up is a response to reftel request for an update to activities by Coca-Cola Equatorial Africa (Coke),a previous Accra nominee for the Department's Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE). Coke continues to expand corporate operations and social responsibility programs in Ghana. Coke is a direct employer of 800 Ghanaian employees, and has invested more than USD 120 million in Ghana. Coke has recently initiated a number of corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, including distribution of malaria nets, clean water an sanitation projects, and an education and professional development program. END SUMMARY. ¶2. Coke directly employs 800 Ghanaians, but PricewaterhouseCoopers (Ghana),Ltd. has estimated that about ten times as many jobs are dependent on the company's presence. As of 2009, Coke had invested USD 120 million in Ghana, with plans to invest an additional USD 40 million over the next three years. ¶3. Coke has numerous active CSR projects across a range of issues in Ghana. In 2009, the Nets for Life program, sponsored in part by Coke, expanded to the Western, Eastern and Ashanti Regions of Ghana and provided approximately 80,000 nets. Coke has also co-sponsored two water and sanitation development projects with USAID, contributing USD 2.5 million. Recent innovative education programs include a USD 1 million investment to train Ghanaian university graduates for hire at Coke and other major corporations. ¶4. Philippe Ayivor is the Franchise Manager of Coke's corporate operations in Ghana. He can be contacted at +233-21-214-521 and via e-mail at peayivor@afr.ko.com. TEITELBAUM