Promise Check: One District, one factory project. A yay or a nay.
Image source: gcbghana.com
Ekumfi Pineapple Processing Factory, the first factory to be constructed under the government’s ‘One District One Factory’ project is expected to employ over 5000 people when completed by mid-2018.
General Manager of the company, Daniel Kwarteng, said about $5million is expected to be invested into the project from the $2billion Exim bank Chinese loan announced earlier by government.
On the commencement day of the one district one factory. The party’s National Youth Organizer of the party, Sammy Awuku said.
“It is a pineapple juice factory. We also have one of the factories ready at Twifo Ati-Morkwa district which the president in due course will cut sod for its commencement. It is a toothpick producing factory. We also have one fruit juice base factory in the Assin District. So we are moving, not even with the speed of light, but I think the government has demonstrated that it is ready to move beyond the comfort zone,” he added.
The NPP in its 2016 Manifesto promised of building one factory in each of the 216 districts across the country.
These factories will be built relative to the district’s endowed resources and capacity to particularly provide jobs for the people.
With a capacity to process and package about 80 tonnes of fruits per day, the factory is expected to process a total of about 25,600 tonnes of fruit per year. A total of 250 persons will be employed at the factory, with 5,000 jobs, direct and indirect, to be created as a result.
It is expected that by the end of the year, about 51 districts would rollout business enterprises under the one - district-one factory initiative. These business concerns are also expected to generate about 80,000 jobs for youth.
The government of Ghana was set for the first batch of 51 districts to implement one district one factory project but fell short on target. This year 4 projects are ready for sod cutting and 69 others are expected to take off in 2018.
Source: CitiFmOnline, Government Of Ghana, MyJoyOnline