Gifty Konadu addresses the media
Government says the implementation of its flagship programme, the One District, One Factory, remains on track.
Gifty Ohene Konadu, National Coordinator for the project, who briefed the media on Monday in Accra, said at the right time, the construction of the remaining 215 factories would begin.
According to her, government would ensure that the right measures are put in place before cutting the sod for the remaining projects.
This, she said, was aimed at ensuring that the various factories to be built do not become “white elephants”.
The One District, One Factory initiative took off on August 25, 2017 with the launch of the Ekumfi Pineapple factory in the Central Region by President Akufo-Addo.
“We have been working quietly behind the scenes, since we launched the policy at Ekumfi,” Ms Konadu said.
According to her, the Secretariat of the One-District One-Factory project had engaged lead investors, provided them with information necessary to put their proposed projects in shape so as to access and meet the requirements of financing institutions.
There are over 600 investors and eight financiers for the project, some from Norway and Britain.
Local institutions such as Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), CNBM, UMB, and Access Bank are also involved in the programme.
She indicated that at the policy level, the Secretariat has engaged the Ministries of Finance and Trade, Monitoring and Evaluation and Local Government, to seek their support and approval for tax incentives, duty exemptions and related issues conducive for the survival of infant industries.
“We are also in close collaboration with agencies like Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Ghana Free Zones Board, Local Partner Banks and many others,” she added.
“We are getting closer to conclude projects that are viable and have met all the requirements necessary to access credit.”
She revealed that the effective and efficient governance of the factories would promote sustainability, adding that priority was being given to the structuring of strong offtaker agreements to ensure efficient survival.
The programme covers agro-processing of cassava, soya beans, shea butter, fruit and vegetable processing, rice milling and livestock processing, among others.
BY Melvin Tarlue