The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has been explaining its decision to venture into the manufacturing sector. The Ghana News Agency reported that the Defence Minister Lt. Gen. Joseph Henry Smith announced on Friday at a ceremony in Kumasi to hand over the Kumasi Shoe factory over to the military, that a Defence Industries Holding Company Limited (DIHOC) had been established for the purposes of running certain businesses in the country. Clarifying the reasons behind the GAF’s new quest, the Director of Public Affairs at the military high command, Col. Mbawine Atintande told Joy FM on Monday, the decision is not a novelty as some military outfits across the world have been successful at such ventures. He said countries such as Nigeria and Egypt had undertaken such projects and therefore did not think it will have any negative effects on the core responsibilities of the GAF. Col. Atintande revealed that apart from the shoe factory “we (GAF) will get into garment, we will get into agro processing, we will get into computer components production, we will get into vehicle assembling and maintenance and we will get into a number of other ventures as well.” “We have a few partners especially (from) the Czech Republic who are helping to provide us with technical equipments and of course some finance as well. There are other institutions that are also going to help us with support but by and large majority of the shares are vested in the Ghana Armed Forces.” Touching on whether the military will not seek to monopolise the industrial sector as was being feared by many, Col. Atintande said “we will not have too much military influence in the company itself apart from providing policy guidance and direction and that is why we’ve set up Defense Industry Department (DID) at the General Headquarters with a Brigadier-General sitting in there [to] provide that guidance and direction for that company to run its business as a private entity.” He said the company will “run its affairs like all other companies in this country, it will be as responsible as all the other companies and it will satisfy all the conditions as all the other companies. I don’t think it will run differently from the other [companies].” He refuted suggestions that the company will take a toll on the public purse stating that its Czech Republic partners, Knights, have made $50 million available for take-off and that the GAF is engaging some banks in the country to seek some financial support as it is the majority share holder in the venture. Col. Atintande called for public support as they work towards making the business a successful one.