GOVERNMENT SECURES $24.5 MILLION CREDIT FACILITY FOR SUGARCANE IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN REGIONS
03-11-2017
Hon. Alan Kyeremanteng
The Minister for Trade and Industry Hon. Alan Kyeremanteng says the government will use the $24.5 million Indian EXIM credit facility for the cultivation of about 14,100 acres of sugarcane in the Central and Western regions as part of efforts to develop and implement a plantation and Out-Grower Scheme. This was part of Recommendations made by a team of Ghanaian experts tasked to conduct a comprehensive technical audit of the Komenda Sugar factory.
Hon. Kyeremanteng was answering questions posed to him by the Member for Cape Coast South Hon. George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan in the House. The MP for Cape Coast South wanted to know the steps the Ministry is taking to re-start the Komenda Sugar factory and the development of sugarcane plantations and irrigation through the outer-grower scheme.
According to the Minister, there were very serious challenges that constrained the operations of the company from project inception, predominant among which was the limited supply of sugarcane for continuous processing after the partial test run, which resulted in the constitution of a team of experts.
Hon Kyeremanteng revealed recommendations from the experts report. He said, the report recommended the full installation and operationalization of the plant. Another suggestion was the negotiation and payment of outstanding debts due the factory plant contractors to ensure a full take-over by Government of the factory assets.
The Komenda Sugar factory was built by the first President of Ghana Dr Kwame Nkrumah and revamped by former President John Dramani Mahama in May 2016. The factory from its inception faced several challenges rendering it dormant till date.
