President Akufo-Addo cutting ribbons to commission the factory
President Akufo-Addo has commissioned a $40 million baby diapers and sanitary pad factory at Bortianor in the Greater Accra Region under his government’s flagship ‘one district one factory’ (1D1F) initiative.
The Sunda diaper factory is believed to be the biggest in sub-Saharan Africa, owned by Chinese firm Sunda International Limited.
It is among other three other factories to be established in Ghana over the last two years by the Chinese, one being the Twyford Factory in the Western Region, which is also a factory under 1D1F and into the production of ceramics.
In his speech to commission the multi-million dollars factory, President Akufo-Addo called for public support in attracting more investors into the country.
He told Ghanaians that his government was working assiduously to transform the economy, adding that “the work we are doing to strengthen the macro-economic stability of our country is not some paper work.”
In direct attack on his critics who think that many of the promises he made to Ghanaians such as the Free Senior High School, ‘one village one dam’, 1D1F, the president indicated strongly that all the programmes of his government are not gimmicks but are part of a well thought-out plan for the social and economic development of Ghana.
He made it clear that he is not a president who would lie to Ghanaians for votes, but he’s committed to fulfilling the pledges made to them in 2016 before the end of his four years in 2020.
It was optimistic that more of such factories would be established across Ghana to reduce imports and help create jobs for Ghanaians.
President Akufo-Addo used the occasion to reaffirm his government’s commitment to promoting industrial developments nationwide by forming strong collaboration with the private sector and creating the right business environment.
He also reassured the nation, especially the business community, about providing stable electricity, intimating that his administration will not return Ghana to the era of unstable electricity supply.
The Managing Director of Sunda Diaper Limited, Dong Ming Hu, said the $40 million of which the company itself contributed $26 million, with $14 million support from local banks in Ghana, is only for the first phase of the factory which has about five production lines.
He said in 2019, the company hopes to increase the investment to about $55 million for the second phase of the project and that will increase the maiden workforce of 500 to about 1,000 jobs.
He revealed that Sunda International Limited is planning to establish about 12 new businesses in sub-Saharan Africa over the next three years.
The Minister of Trade & Industry, Alan Kyeremanteng, highlighted the tremendous contributions the 1D1F has made so far to the growth of the Ghanaian economy.
According to him, at the end of 2016, the industrial sector recorded a negative growth rate.
He said within a year of assuming office in January 2017, President Akufo-Addo has been able to restore the sector onto the path of growth, recording a 16 percent growth rate in 2017 and contributing immensely to the overall national economic growth rate of eight percent for that year.
He said there has been a Cabinet approval for those importing equipment under the 1D1F programme not to pay duties at ports across the country, reiterating that 1D1F factories like Sunda would enjoy tax holiday of up to five years.
The chiefs and people of Bortianor/Ngleshie/Amanfro thanked the Chinese for investing in their area and pledged to protect their investment.