Deputy Minister for Trade and Agribusiness, Sampson Ahi, has described the implementation of the One District, One Factory (1D1F) programme under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government as a failure.
Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, the Member of Parliament for Sehwi Bodi said many of the factories launched under the programme are now non-functional.
“If you build a factory and don’t have raw materials to feed it and keep it running, is that a success?” he asked.
Mr. Ahi cited the Akontombra Rice Factory as an example, stating it was forced to shut down shortly after its commissioning because there were no raw materials to sustain operations.
“Most of the factories across [the country] are not working. Some of them have equipment installed but are not operational. Just two months ago, we handed a lot of them over to the private sector to revamp. EFRA opened the tender, requesting that the private sector apply for takeover, but most of them have still not been taken because it is not profitable,” he explained.
To remedy the situation, the Deputy Minister highlighted the Feed the Industry initiative, introduced under President John Mahama’s 24-hour economy policy, aimed at supporting year-round agricultural production to provide consistent raw materials for Ghana’s agro-industrial sector.
“Because if we don’t grow the raw materials and just establish companies, they will not survive,” he stressed.
The 1D1F initiative, launched under President Akufo-Addo, was intended to transform Ghana’s economy by reducing reliance on raw material exports and promoting local manufacturing and value addition. It also aimed to ensure each administrative district had at least one industrial enterprise.
Despite its ambitious goals, Mr. Ahi argued that the real impact of the policy is yet to be felt by both industry and ordinary Ghanaians.
Source: Gertrude Otchere
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