The Government has supervised a restructuring of the Ayensu Starch Factory located at Bawjiase in the Awutu Senya District of the Central Region with the expectation that it would become more viable.
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Kweku Rickets Hagan, disclosed this during a tour round the factory to acquaint himself with operations and challenges the facility was facing.
He said the restructuring process was undertaken in conjuction with the private sector.
Visit
In the course of his visit, the minister held a meeting with the management of the company and officials of Guinness Ghana Limited, which is the private partner and signed a contract with the company for the supply of starch.
He said it had become necessary that the factory went into a relationship with a private sector company, preferably a Ghanaian company, in order to make it more resourceful in terms of financing, retooling and skills acquisition.
He explained that the move to engage the private partner was to strategically position the company in a way that would make it increase production and become solvent.
He said the government was keen to encourage linkage between it and the private sector.
He said under a contract with Guinness Ghana Brewery, the factory was to provide the brewery with 14,000 tonnes of starch by the end of July this year.
However, he said, the factory had only managed to produce a paltry 1,000 tonnes, which was woefully inadequate.
Keep jobs
Explaining the government’s position on the partnership, he said workers of the factory would keep their jobs despite the involvement of a private partner.
The acting Co-ordinator of the Ayensu Starch Factory, Mr James Bitir, said the cost of electricity was a key problem that the company faced which was affecting its production seriously.
He said low remuneration for the workers was a demotivating factor and as such was affecting the performance of the workers. That notwithstanding, he said the management and staff would work hard to increase production and improve the fortunes of the factory.
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