“By February next year, we will have got the Komenda Sugar Factory working again. This is the target that they have,” President Nana Akufo-Addo has announced.
According to him, this follows consultations that have taken place between the Minister for Trade and Industries, Alan Kyerematen, a transaction advisor, and the board of the sugar factory.
He explained arrangements have now been made to supply the factory with raw materials.
“I think the work that has been done between him [Alan Kyermaten], the transaction advisor and the board of the company, is now in the situation whereby God willing, by February, next year, we will have got the Komenda Sugar factory working again. This is the target that they have
“They’ve made arrangements now to supply the factory with raw materials. It’s going to be sustainable. If the factory is going to start working, it has to be sustainable,” he announced on Accra-based Peace FM.
President Akufo-Addo’s comment comes on the back of accusations by former President Mahama that the current government has deliberately failed to operationalise the factory.
The $35 million factory, built from an Indian EXIM Bank facility, has not worked since its commissioning in 2016.
The factory was revamped to revive the local production of sugar, thereby, reducing the importation of the commodity and create jobs for Komenda indigenes.
Speaking in an interview on Cape FM in the Central Region, as part of his ‘thank you’ tour on Friday, Mr Mahama said that the current government has deliberately purposed against applying for the funds.
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Reacting to the claims, President Akufo-Addo stated it was going to be difficult to access the money because the factory collapsed not long after the commissioning.
“Immediately after the commissioning on the 30th of May 2016, the factory was shut down because of lack of raw materials.
“Therefore, are you going to tell people you want some more money when the thing that you are doing is itself on the backfoot?” he quizzed.
He added: “Why didn’t the Mahama government go for that $24 million? The money was there before he left office; why didn’t he access it?”