No sugarcane for revived factory - MP

daniel russell

May 31, 2016 8:39 AM

President John Mahama has said the revived Komenda Sugar Factory will provide direct and indirect jobs to an estimated 7,000 people.

The Member of Parliament for Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abirem, Dr Nana Ato Arthur has noted with concern the lack of raw materials to be used at the revamped

Although Dr Ato Arthur is happy for his constituents, he has questioned how this dream can be realised when there are no sugar plantations in the area to produce raw materials for the factory.

“It is good that the factory has been revived but we need raw materials for the factory. I heard the President say it will create 7,000 jobs but what will the workers do? I though there will be sugarcane plantation. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Didn’t we know that the factory will be commissioned in May and for that matter, we needed sugarcane? They brought four trucks of sugarcane from somewhere for the factory. If we knew it was going to be commissioned in May, we should have planted sugarcane nine months ago,” he said on Kasapa FM.

“Some will say I’m asking these questions because I’m NPP. Not so. If my people get work to do, I will be happy. I’m all for the project but where are the farms? Where are the raw materials?” he queried.

Reports suggest that about 3,000 acres of land has been secured for plantation but Dr Ato Arthur intimated that the issue goes beyond the lands.

“I can’t say it’s 3,000. It’s the same land that people are building on. The issue is about planning. At first, there was a primary canal from Komenda to River Pra where we had water to irrigate the sugar. Now all the primary canal is broken down. So even if we plant the sugarcane, there will be no water to irrigate,” he noted.

The sugar factory was first established in 1960s by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. It was part of his economic policy for industrialization. The factory was however closed down due to mismanagement.

daniel russell