Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Trade and Industry Committee Yusif Sulemana says the one-district, one-factory (1D1F) initiative under the NPP government has been a failure over the last four years.
He says majority of companies under the initiative were first supported by the previous NDC government, therefore, the NPP should not be taking credit for them.
“Most of the projects they claim they have done got support from Mahama’s administration. I worked with EXIM Bank, hitherto, EDIF. We gave so much support to these companies. We didn’t name them as 1D1F.
"If we were to separate that from the total number of factories they claim they have done, then you will see they have done nothing,” Yusif Sulemana told JoyNews in an interview.
According to the One-District, One-Factory Secretariat, 170 factories are currently at various stages of completion. The secretariat says 76 factories are currently operational including 48 revived ones. It says another 94 are under construction.
Mr Sulemana noted that a lot of the factories under the initiative are not functioning because they were not properly thought through.
“You need to give attention to the raw material base. You don’t rush in putting up the factory without the raw material. What they are doing is just help build white elephants. NPP failed because of the populist approach to the whole concept of industrialization,” the Bole Bamboi MP noted.
“Rural industrialization is the way to go. But the way around it is not for you to just walk around and say that everywhere you see land, you want to put a factory there. No. You have to ensure basic economics. Factors of production. Raw materials are very essential. So, if you don’t build the raw material base, why do you put up a factory?” Mr. Sulemana said.
He says a future NDC government will better industrialise Ghana.
“We are saying we will take our time to build a raw material base. We will solve the technical issues. And ensure that the factory runs all year round,” he insisted.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Bright Wireko-Brobby says the Ghanaian economy is on the path to a take-off following the laying of a good foundation over the last four years by the NPP.
“A lot of things have been done already on the ground. So, the second term of Nana Addo is a take-off stage. So, we are going to see massive development,” the MP for Hemang Lower Denkyira told JoyNews.
“We are not now grappling to use resources to pay debt we came to meet. We are not now going to use the resources to be paying debt which we came to meet.
"We are now going to use the resources to actually put in place what we have intended and have planned with the people. So, we are going to see massive development come 2021 and beyond,” he added.
Latest Stories
-
Eric Johnson
3 mins -
Tanzania denies abuse reports as World Bank halts funds
11 mins -
2024 polls: The person I defeated twice can’t succeed me – Akufo-Addo
18 mins -
NBA: Miami Heat beat Boston Celtics to even series
27 mins -
Two sentenced for stealing over 1,000 bags of rice
32 mins -
Zulu monarchy in row over king’s praise singer
35 mins -
Xavi to remain as Barcelona coach until at least June 2025
37 mins -
2Pac’s estate threatens to sue Drake over use of late rapper’s AI-generated voice
39 mins -
Yaw Nsarkoh: The President’s letter on the KPMG (SML) Report
40 mins -
Manasseh’s praise and criticism of Akufo-Addo’s action on the SML scandal
45 mins -
KPMG’s report confirms we haven’t been paid $100m – SML
49 mins -
SML refutes KPMG’s claim of GH¢1bn payment, says it’s inaccurate
55 mins -
Mahama’s speech at Prof Opoku-Agyemang’s unveiling as his running-mate
1 hour -
Asiedu Nketia’s full speech at official unveiling of Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as running-mate
1 hour -
We are committed to helping build a better Ghana – SML
1 hour