Minister of Trade and Industry Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen says the Upper East Region is yet to benefit from government’s 1-District, 1-Factory initiative.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, November 7, Mr. Kyerematen said no investor or business promoter has so far expressed interest in undertaking any project in the Region.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) as part of its campaign in 2016, promised to ensure they establish a factory in all districts in Ghana.
It is close to two years since the NPP assumed power, and the Trade and Industry Minister told Parliament that 79 projects would be approved under initiative by the end of this year.
According to him, Ashanti Region has 13 projects in the offing, Greater Accra Region has 22, Brong Ahafo 13, eight are in the Central Region, 14 in Eastern Region, six in the Northern Region and one each in the Western, Volta, and Upper West Region.
“We do not have any project on record from Upper East [Region].”
Mr. Kyerematen noted that some of the projects have commenced operations, with others under construction and yet to commence.
Asked why the Upper East Region has no factory, the Minister said investors ought to express interest in a region of their choice for the districts within that region to get a factory.
“The selection of projects is based on the expression of interests of business promoters and the private sector, but in cases where it is clear that no interest has been established in a particular district, then government proposes to play an interventionist role.
“Even under circumstances where government plays interventionist role, our proposal and our hope would be that when the factory is established, at an appropriate time, we identify strategic investors from the private sector either to co-share the equity with government or actually take up the full equity of the company,” Mr. Kyerematen explained.
The Minister also answered questions on plans his outfit is putting in place on piracy of indigenous designs and logos of wax prints from textile manufacturing industries.
He said new policy measures would be introduced effective Thursday, November 15 to give buyers the confidence of genuine textile fabric.
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