Government to hand over Komenda Sugar factory to private investor
The Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr Robert Ahomka-Lindsay says government is to commit the operations of the Komenda Sugar factory to a viable and reliable investor.
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Mr Ahomka-Lindsey says the factory like others to be started under the government’s one district, one factory (1D1F) programme would mostly be managed by private investors.
The deputy Minister was speaking at a press soiree organized by the NPP to thank the media for their work in 2017 and to outline some of the programmes on the party’s calendar for 2018.
Inauguration and closure
The Komenda Sugar factory was inaugurated in May 2016 but operational challenges including inadequate supply of sugarcane to feed the factory among others, led to its closure.
The factory was expected to create over 7,000 direct and indirect jobs but has since not been operational.
Mr Ahomka-Lindsey said 8,000 acres of land had been acquired to allow for the cultivation of more plantations to feed the factory.
So far, he said six investors had expressed interest in running the factory and assured that the ministry was working hard to ensure that it did not close down again when it resumes operations.
He said the ministry was also working with some universities and research institutions on developing the right sugarcane varieties for cultivation.
Conducive environment
He noted that the government was steadfastly working to ensure that the right economic environment was created for the private sector to work and speed up the creation of jobs for the nation’s teeming unemployed youth.
He appealed to the media not to concentrate on magnifying the teething challenges of the 1D1F programme, saying all startups were bound to face challenges.
The Regional Minister, Mr Kwamena Duncan thanked the media for their support and cooperation.
He assured that the party and the government structures in the region would work together to strengthing the party in the region.
Chairman Kutin
The Central Regional Chairman of the NPP, Mr Robert Kutin appealed to journalists to support government’s efforts at improving the lives of Ghanaians.
He also called on them to be circumspect in their reportage and avoid unsubstantiated yet damning information against government and its functionaries.