Gifty Ohene Konadu, 1D1F Administrator
Thirty-five companies are finalizing plans to establish viable factories under the One District, One Factory (1D1F) policy in the Central Region.
The factories are expected to engage in commercial production of salt, bricks and tiles, plywood tiles, starch, oil palm, bamboo and tomato paste.
They would also process cassava into industrial ethanol, among others.
Charles Nkrumah, an official in charge of the programme in the region, who disclosed this at a Town Hall Meeting held at Ajumako-Besease on Tuesday, said the factories would be established in all the 20 administrative districts of the region.
Explaining further, he said, “I can tell you on authority that most of the companies are almost ready to commence commercial production of various products and services by December 2018. Some districts will have more than one factory.”
At the national level, he announced that more than 309 factories in 216 districts would soon begin operations with the employment of 277,549 qualified youth in different professionals.
At the regional level, he said there were 13 factories in Western, 24 in Volta, 8 in Upper East, 4 in Upper West, 18 in Northern, 46 in Greater Accra, 53 in Eastern, 74 in Ashanti, and 34 in Brong Ahafo.
Mr Nkrumah said government’s flagship programme to boost industrialisation is aimed at creating congenial business environment to attract investors and create jobs.
That, he explained, was in line with government’s vision to industrialise the country by identifying the economic potentials of each district through qualitative value addition to those resources.
Ransford Kwesi Nyarko, District Chief Executive, on his part, reiterated the eagerness of the Akufu-Addo led-administration to shift the paradigm from promises to action to maintain the confidence reposed in him by the people.
He announced that the assembly, in collaboration with its partners, would soon begin the construction of a cassava processing factory under the 1D1F industrialisation drive.
According to him, the sheer abundance of raw cassava and willingness of the farmers to support it informed the decision to set up the factory to process cassava into flour and other products to create employment for the youth.
– GNA