Government is expected to commission the Komenda Sugar Factory later this year, according to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Addressing a gathering of chiefs and people while on a two-day tour of Central Region, President Akufo-Addo accused the National Democratic Congress of failing to revive the factory at a critical time.
He further touted his administration as having the best interest of the people of the central region, hence the decision to revive the factory in order to create employment and boost local production.
“The factory has been on my heart. It is left with a bit. Great works are going on there. The commissioning will come in a little while,” Akufo-Addo said.
Meanwhile, Director General of the State Interest and Governance Authority, Stephen Asamoah Boateng said the sugar-producing factory was 95 percent complete.
Touching on the need to ensure there are enough raw materials to support the factory, the SIGA boss said there are a number of strategies in place.
In February this year, President Akufo-Addo disclosed that the defunct Komenda Sugar Factory located in the central region will resume operations this year.
Ahead of the move, some civil works on the factory were said to have been completed in March this year to enable operational activities to begin.
The president earlier said the services of the Technical Partner with expertise in the sugar industry have also been engaged to manage the technical operations of the factory.
As part of efforts to rope in local content personnel to revive the factory, traditional authorities in Komenda and adjoining districts have been engaged to acquire large tracts of land for sugarcane plantations.
Background
Though the erstwhile John Mahama administration recommissioned the factory on May 30, 2016, in a bid to get it functioning once again and offer employment for the youth, the move hit a snag as the Akufo-Addo-led government took office shortly in 2017.
The recommissioned Komenda Sugar Factory was expected to create some 7,300 direct and indirect jobs at full operational capacity. The factory is said to be able to crush 1,250 tonnes of sugar cane daily.
The sugar-producing factory was first established in 1964 by Dr Kwame Nkrumah but became defunct over the years due to technical difficulties and setbacks.
The birth of the factory was based on the premise of producing sugar locally to reduce importation and for commercial purposes.
