By Mariam Williams
The Managing Director of Gambia Milling Corporation (GMC), Mr. Christophe Bardy, has said that GMC will produce and sell 1 million bags of flour in this 2020. The senior official made the disclosure during their New Year party convened at their Office premises in Macoumba Jallow Street in Banjul.
“Let’s go together and reach this 1 million bags of flour target. As soon as we get it, within the next 12 months, Gambia Milling Corporation (GMC) will pay each of you staff, an additional basic salary,” he encouragingly told the staffers.
While admitting the road has not always been easy, he stressed, it has been rather bumpy with high and low, good and bad weeks, months and even years. MD Bardy also recounted that 2018 and 2019 have been years during which GMC had made heavy losses; but despite those heavy losses in tens of millions of dalasis, the Board of Directors “have always believed in our milling activity in the Gambia. The directors of this company have always believed in you, the employees”.
According to him, 2019 has been what one could call “transition year”, adding the government has taken the option of encouraging the local milling industry by setting a strong frame in front of flour imports.”
Thanks to this decision, GMC has been able to partner with one strong distributor, giving us the opportunity to run this mill at a better rate than the two previous years”.
The GMC boss acknowledged that the management, together with the employees, had brought the company to another level. He added that, “The management is dedicated and engaged to continue to work harder to secure a positive year.”
“Our objective for this 2020 is to producing and selling 1 million flour bags of the Arch flour, our premium brand for bakeries and Eco65, regular flour brand,” he revealed.
As part of their New year party, the Board of Directors of GMC jointly with the management, gave each of the 65 members of staff one bag of flour.
Mr. Amat Cham, Finance Officer of GMC, thanked MD Bardy and Mr. Jack Schauder for the support they have given to staff for the past six months, just to mention a few.
He said Bardy and his management facilitated training to Kenya for the employees to learn new method of improvement in their areas, so as to excel in their various duties and responsibilities. And he gave each employee 50 kg bag of flour back in March 2019, and also 10% increment of salaries to all the employees back in April 2019.
The Finance Officer remarked: “We want to take this opportunity to assure Mr. Bardy and his management that, they have set a standard in helping their employees, and on that note, we the staff of GMC will continue to work hard because we are grateful to you and your management”.
Mr. Lamin Jarju, the Human Resources Manager of GMC also made some remarks during the event.
