Ekumfi factory not like Mahama’s wasted $26m Komenda factory – Freddie Blay

Acting NPP Chairman, Freddie Blay says government is committed to attracting real investment into the country with its one-district, one factory (1D1F) project.
He said the factories to be constructed under the programme will be completely different from the ones built by the past administration in terms of value for money.
Mr Blay told Asempa News Wednesday, the $26 million Komenda Sugar Factory built by former President John Mahama was a waste of taxpayers’ money.

Acting NPP Chairman, Freddie Blay

At the commissioning of the revamped factory in the Central Region last year, then President Mahama said it will create over 7,000 direct and indirect jobs.




But the former deputy Speaker of Parliament said the Komenda factory did not create the anticipated jobs and ended up growing “wrong sugarcane.”

“That is not what we are talking about,” he boasted of the one-district, one factory programme.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is expected to launch the programme on Friday in the Central Region.

The one-district, one factory (1D1F) is one of his many campaign promises made in 2016.

As part of the programme, the President is expected to commission a pineapple factory in Ekumfi.

Former deputy Trade Minister, Murtala Mohammed

But former deputy Trade Minister, Murtala Mohammed said government is “stealing” the project started by the previous administration.

He said the project was conceived in 2013 and spearheaded by the Central Region Development Commission (CEDECOM).

“The land was secured by CEDECOM through the chiefs, so there is nothing the NPP has provided in this,” he said.

But Mr Blay has dismissed the claim by the former government official, saying the land for the pineapple project was released “recently.”

“The Ekumfi people wanted it. I’ve been there and when the President was there the people said they are very happy,” he noted.

He said government will not be discouraged from creating the environment for people to invest and produce.

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Source:Myjoyonline