The company has asked its stakeholders to disregard the inaccurate stories, stressing that its research and new product development team is currently working on new brands and new products that it intends to launch onto the market in November.

In a release that was copied to Graphic Online, the management noted that the company had not laid off workers and was not planning to lay off workers.

Rather, it said, it was in the process of increasing its production activities from two shifts to three shifts, which would require that the company even employed more people in the near future.

Related: ATL struggles to keep workers, pay salaries

“Over the last week, it has come to the notice of the management of Akosombo Textiles Ltd (ATL) that the media landscape has carried a series of stories concerning ATL that are inaccurate. The management of ATL will like to inform the media, general public and its distinguished customers that it has not laid off 200 employees, as reported. It has no plans to lay off its workers,” the release indicated.

Scheduled time for production

It further pointed out that it was also untrue that 600 workers of ATL had been sent home due to lack of raw materials.

“Our organisation, like any other that utilises machinery, has scheduled times for production and maintenance. Our downtimes ought not be misreported as signs of layoff,” the release stated.

Stimulus package

The management also noted that as part of government’s policy to boost the textiles industry, ATL was a proud recipient of a government stimulus package in August 2018 to support the company’s operations.

The injection, according to the management, had assisted the organisation to complete a number of exercises, including clearing of salary arrears, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of October.

“As stated by the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, during his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Ghana Industrial Summit and Exhibition 2018 at AICC on Tuesday, September 18, 2018, as part of government’s industrialisation drive and to revive the textile industry as a whole, ATL will be producing the fabric for uniforms of the 100,000 graduates under the Nation Builders Corps (NaBCo). This, in addition to other contracts, will be a further boost to our business,” the release indicated.

“In addition, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, in collaboration with textile manufacturers and traders, has planned a road map aimed at reviving the local textile industry and promoting made-in-Ghana fabrics. This includes, among other things, the implementation of the Tax Stamp to curb smuggling and to protect intellectual property rights of manufacturers in Ghana,” it added.