Managing Director of the Panbros Salt Industries Ltd Michael Odartey-Wellington says the location of a cement factory in the area will harm their ability to produce large quantities of edible salt.

“Authorities are aware that the siting of a cement factory near a saltwork is the most undesirable thing to do as the cement dust will not only affect salt crystallisation but also contaminate the salt being produced making it inedible,” he said.

He said sometime in 2013, the Ngleshie Alata Stool who are the titleholders of the Panbros concession requested the release of five acres out of 498 acres they had leased to Panbros Salt Industry.

A request to which the company obliged. The Stool subsequently sold the released land to one Archibald Ato Paitoo.

“It appears that Archibald Paitoo has currently forcibly taken an additional 17 acres which is the only area available for a planned expansion of Saltworks by Panbros to develop a cement factory.

"As a law-abiding company, we have restrained our workers from having a confrontation with the developer who has deployed land guards, as we do not want to have any bloodshed," he said.

He added that the company has petitioned relevant authorities to intervene and stop the developer.

"Our worry is that till now the developer is still constructing without a permit”, he said.

He said per checks with the Trade Ministry and the Secretariat of the 1D1F and the GIPC, it appears that these institutions do not have any knowledge of the project.

The Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Cement Manufacturers, Rev. Dr George Dawson-Ahmoah denied knowledge of such a new cement company emerging.

“If truly such a development is ongoing then it should be condemned outright”.

Panbros Salt Industries Ltd is the oldest and largest wholly-Ghanaian owned salt company, which produces quality salt for the whole country and the West African sub-region.