Member of Parliament for New Juaben South, Michael Okyere Baafi
The Member of Parliament for New Juaben South, Michael Okyere Baafi, has acknowledged that while the One District, One Factory (1D1F) initiative was a significant step toward economic transformation, it has yet to fully achieve its objectives.
Speaking on GHOne TV, as monitored by MyNewsGh, he stated that although the government has made great strides in reducing import dependence and boosting local production, certain challenges have hindered the initiative’s complete success.
“No government in Ghana’s history has ever introduced such an ambitious policy to create factories and businesses as we did. Our goal was to reduce importation and focus on developing local industries,” he explained.
However, he noted that financial constraints posed a major challenge in establishing and sustaining these businesses.
“The government alone does not have the capacity to establish and run businesses. That is why 1D1F was structured as a private-sector-led initiative. Businesspeople were encouraged to invest, but we faced challenges that hindered full implementation,” he said.
On food production, Hon. Baafi highlighted the government’s efforts to curb smuggling and ensure food security. However, he admitted that certain products, such as cashew and cereals, continued to be illegally exported.
“We introduced policies to ban the export of certain products so they could be sold locally, but people still smuggled them out. Even with border security reinforcements, we couldn’t fully control the situation,” he admitted.
Despite these setbacks, the MP remains optimistic about the future of the 1D1F initiative.
“We have laid a strong foundation. This government will continue its work to achieve the initiative’s full objectives,” he concluded.