Asonaba Writes: 1-D-1F: Komenda Sugar Factory Must Lead The Ambition

Asonaba Writes: 1-D-1F: Komenda Sugar Factory Must Lead The Ambition

Industrialization is no doubt a way to move forward a country’s development and job creation and therefore the need to collaborate with eh previous government’s projects that will sustain the country as we move on as a developing country.

Manufacturing has been important for growth in developing countries, but not all expectations of the ‘engine of growth hypotheses are borne out by the data.

Great Britain was the first industrialize and it became the technological leader in the world economy. It was the exemplar for other countries. Manufacturing became the main engine of accelerating economic growth in the nineteenth century. Manufacturing production technologies spread to other countries. A global race for industrialization had begun.1

Industrialization should be seen as a single global process of structural change, in which individual countries follow different paths depending on their initial conditions and moment of their entry into the race (Pollard, 1990). The first industrial followers were European countries such as Belgium, Switzerland and France. In the nineteenth century, the United States followed a different path towards industrialization based on primary exports, abundance of land and natural resources, and scarcity of labor. Famous latecomers to the process of industrialization were Germany, Russia and Japan.

In developing countries, moves towards industrialization were scarce and hesitant. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, one finds such beginnings in Latin American countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico and large Asian countries such as India and China.

It was good news for Ghanaians in the wake of 2016 elections when the now ruling new patriotic party campaigned on industrialization and the messaged was well received by majority of Ghanaians. The ‘ONE DISTRICT’ ONE FACTORY’ was wow , amazing and a way forward for Ghanaians because the idea of reducing unemployment would no more become a burden us as a developing country that is found under middle income status.
Yes one district one factory means having a factory at every district in the country and the employment rate will go up to reduce crime.

Now the New Patriotic Party is in power and Ghanaians are looking forward to seeing the one district one factory. On 30th may 2016 President John Dramani Mahama commissioned the new Komenda Sugar Factory at Komenda in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) District of the Central Region.

This was made known by the Minister of Communications, Dr Edward Omane Boamah. The Komenda Sugar factory was closed down years ago and in 2014, government partnered the private sector to revive it. The factory when commissioned will produce sugar both for domestic use and export.

The Komenda Sugar Factory, built at a cost of $35million from an Indian Exim Bank facility, was inaugurated by then President John Mahama in May 2016, amid pomp and ceremony. The factory has the capacity to crush 1,250 tonnes of sugarcane per day.

Ghana spends about $200 million to import sugar annually and the new factory was expected to change the situation. Ghana’s annual sugar requirement, as of 2016, was estimated at 375,000 tonnes.

But after two years of inauguration, the factory still remains shut due some bantam allegation of financial misappropriation by the previous government that is believed to have cause I huge financial loss to the state if due diligence is not taken by the current government therefore measures must put in place to make it happen.
But when president akufo addo met the people of komenda in central region on septamber 15th 2018, he stated that Government is in the process of finding a strategic investor to revive the “debt-ridden and idle” Komenda Sugar Factory.

According to President Akufo-Addo, the search for a strategic investor has become necessary because his administration, upon assuming office on 7th January, 2017, inherited a non-operational Komenda Sugar Factory.
Well who wanted to hear this? What was the impulse of this? What are we trying to achieve from this statement?
To me I believe government is a continuous process that no one can accomplish everything we need as a country, some government will cause debt and other will pay debt and it goes on and on. What would have happened if the NPP government started to pay any debt that has taken over the said sugar factory? Would the government be blamed? NO!

As it stands now the factory has at least location and some structure already put up therefore what has left now is the start up of the business that which should not be a case for the central government and if the government is much committed to continuing projects that were started by the previous government he must use Komenda Sugar factory should be a national case study to prove the allegations right.

According to Ministry Of Trade and Industry, Ghana imports substantial quantities of sugar and is the 18th most valuable product imported in 2013 and fourth largest food import after rice, fish, and poultry. In 2011, the country spent $ 187 million to import 494,000 Metric Tonnes (M/T) of sugar and by 2030 sugar consumption is projected to rise to 872,000 MT.

Sugar is important in terms of food security as well as for foreign exchange and consumption is growing rapidly. The West Africa sub-region, to which Ghana could export duty-free, is also projected to experience more rapid sugar consumption growth than any other region in the next five years.

Oh my goodness and this simply means, Ghana can have enough profit should sugar is considered a major industrial products because of its international market demand so what is wrong with us as a country to make this legacy left rot by political means.

To me I will plead with the government that the money involved is Ghanaians tax that will be used to pay the debt so Komenda Sugar Factory should lead the one district one factory or considered to make it success.