Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen says existing companies supported under government’s flagship One District One Factory (1D1F) policy are considered part of the initiative.

He made this comment at the maiden Results Fair organised under the auspices of the Ministry for Monitoring and Evaluation.

Speaking at the event held at the Accra International Conference Centre, Mr Kyerematen explained that the seeming detachment of government-backed enterprises from the programme is a ‘misunderstanding’ that must be reconsidered.

He explained that: “It (1D1F) consists of both existing and new enterprises… Are you suggesting that if a company that is located in a district that has potential and is doing well and requires support, we should not support that company but rather proceed to create a new one? No, I don’t think so.”

The Akufo-Addo-led administration in August 2017, launched the One District One Factory policy to create the environment conducive for each local government areas to own factories relative to their well-endowed resources and capacity to provide jobs and wealth for the country.

A cross-section of Ghanaians, since the rollout has widely interrogated the progress of facilities under the programme and the capacity in which some pseudo-private establishments are classified as offshoots of the initiative.

But the Minister for Trade and Industry is of the view that the One District One Factory policy is not “meant for government to establish state enterprises. It is led by the private sector but led by government”.

The Results Fair is geared towards creating a platform for the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to recount their achievements since they assumed office.