Woman-led enterprise pioneers in shipyard venture in West Africa

June 2012, The Philippines-Ghana - A woman-led company from the Philippines recently entered into a joint venture with Ghanaian companies and private sector of the Netherlands, for setting up a shipyard for building tuna fishing boats made of fiberglass. 

The agreement was signed at ceremony attended by the Ghanaian Minister of Fisheries, Madame Gladys Asmah and the Dutch Ambassador to Ghana, Ariel van der Wiel.  Present at the signing were: (The Netherlands) John Limmen, Rainbow Fish Consultants BV; Bart de Steenhuijsen Piters, Royal Tropical Institute; Hank van Veen, Day Sea Fresh BV; Hank Van Wijk BV; (Ghana) Joseph Kudjordji, Inter Island Fisheries Ltd; Seth Dotse, Gratis Foundation; (Philippines); Marilyn Ong, CEO of Stoneworks Specialist International with Edwin Fernandez and Armand Matias, financial advisor and technical service manager of Stoneworks, respectively.

The cooperation agreement calls for technical services in training Ghanaians in fiberglass boat-making, fishing in open seas and processing of tuna for the local market as well as for export to Europe.A pioneering public-private partnership deal which comes in the framework of South-North-South scheme, it involves equity investment from the public and private sector groups of Ghana, the Netherlands and the Philippines.  The technology-cum-investment package was negotiated when the Dutch business mission in Manila was introduced to Philippines companies by the Technological Information Promotion System –WINNER Program.

Stoneworks Specialist International from the Philippines initiated discussion with the Dutch and Ghanaians for the manufacture of fiberglass tuna fishing boats and training of Ghanaians in fishing in open seas.  With the support of the Dutch Government, an agreement was reached for the transfer of technology to Africa, with some Ghanaians getting immersion in the boat-making process at the shipyard of Stoneworks in General Santos City in South Cotabato, a region in Southern Philippines known for tuna fishing and processing.

Photo shows Minister Gladys Asmah of Ghana (fifth from left) and Marilyn Ong (fifth from right), chief executive officer and president of Stoneworks Specialist International with the Ghanaian, Dutch and Philippine businessmen for a photo-op after the signing of the agreement.