Preparations for the take-off of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government’s 1-district 1-factory election campaign promise, was started under the erstwhile John Kufour administration, Minister-nominee for Trade and Industry Alan Kyerematen has revealed.
According to him, the erstwhile government had conducted all the relevant studies and identified feasible factory projects that could be embarked upon in all districts of the country.
“This is 1-district 1-factory initiative is actually an initiative that we started during our previous time of office in government, and I superintended this initiative.
By 2007, there were about 110 districts at the time, and we had done consultations with the District Assemblies, identified 3 projects in each district, done diagnostic studies, prepared full business plans, and had consultations with a number of business partners and literally we were on the verge of taking off,” Mr. Kyerematen said.
Addressing the appointments committee of parliament at his vetting on Monday, Alan Kyerematen said the NPP’s work with regards to the project under Kufour, has prepared the grounds for the new Akufo-Addo led government to execute the policy.
“We’ve done an extensive study of all the districts, the 110 [we developed earlier], still encompasses many of the districts that we have now. This was in consultation with the District Assemblies,” he said.
When will construction of factories start?
The nominee said although the government has consulted widely and made the necessary arrangements for the project to commence, he cannot state exactly when the construction of factories will commence. He however noted that, speed in the commencement of the various factories will be dependent on the interest and commitment of private enterprises.
‘1-district 1-factory involves private sector’
According to Alan Kyerematen, although the government will make some financial allocation for the factories, it will collaborate with the private sector to deliver them.
He added that the government will set aside part of its $1 million commitment to all 275 constituencies for the construction of the district projects.