Deputy Minister of Trade, Michael Okyere Baafi, has stated that work is still ongoing on the Komenda Sugar Factory, therefore, debunked claims that the project has been abandoned.
According to him, the project inaugurated by the John Mahama administration was not adequately equipped.
He made the claims in an interview with Accra-based Citi TV and monitored by wontumionline.com.
“That we are not producing sugar does not mean there is nothing happening. It is not a white elephant. If you go there now, you will see workers on the ground.”
Okyere-Baafi stated however noted that the NPP government has had to do a lot for the project “former President Mahama abandoned.”
“We [the NPP] came to meet a factory that was not fully tooled, one without plantation to serve as raw material to help the factory to survive. One that didn’t even have people to run it. There were a lot of things that needed fixing. By God’s grace, we are done with them,” he noted.
Alan Kyeremanten however assured that the factory will be operational by the end of July.
“As I speak, CBG is working with the Ministry of Trade and Industry as well as the consultants for the factory. We have to first buy sugar cane from the farmers.”
“Per my checks, I can assure you that, latest by a month, the facility will be running.”
The Komenda Sugar Factory was established at $35 million from an Indian EXIM Bank facility by then-President John Mahama in May 2016.