Former Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Hon. Carlos Ahenkorah has disclosed that the Komenda sugar factory can never produce sugar.
According to him, there are about 37 missing essential components in the equipment build up of the factory and without those components, the factory cannot operate to even produce a cup of sugar.
Members of the Minority Caucus on Parliament’s Trade, Industry and Tourism Committee say persons whose actions led to the non-operationalization of the Komenda sugar factory will be prosecuted if the opposition National Democratic Congress wins the next elections.
They also blamed the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) for undervaluing the price of the factory, which was pegged at US$50 million to US$12 million, hence causing financial loss to the state.
They accused the current administration of playing politics with the issues relating to the factory and propagating factually inaccurate narratives to score cheap political points.
This came to light after Ranking Member of Parliament’s Trade, Industry and Tourism Committee, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah led a delegation to the factory to get first-hand information on the state of the factory.
But speaking on Okay Fm's Ade Akye Abia programme, he explained that when the NPP was voted into power they "contracted engineers to assess the viability of the factory to see if they can make it operational to produce sugar for local consumption and possibly for exportation. But an intensive test conducted by astute engineers with some from AESL showed that the project lacked some 37 essential components which without them the factory cannot work."
"More so, the project was over priced. The Mahama administration told us that the project cost 35 million dollars but when we conducted separate pricing of the project by two separate engineering firms, the total cost of the project was 12 million dollars," he revealed.
The Tema West MP further disclosed that even the sugar that was reportedly showcased as a product of the factory was bought from
"The question is why did the NDC throw dust into the eyes of Ghanaians an over priced which is more or less a white elephant. The factory could not produce even a pint of sugar because documents available to Ministry of Trade and Industry indicates that the sugar that was showcased during its commissioning was bought from some one.
"They actually bought 400 bags of sugar from someone who later turned up at the ministry with receipts to demand for his money but we told him off and vowed not to pay," Hon Ahenkorah said.
To him, it will not be advisable for the Akufo Addo government to invest in the Komenda sugar factory again.
"What the government should do now which i think they have already started is to find a strategic investor who will pump funds into the Komenda sugar factory and keep the factory running for its purpose," he added.
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Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline/[email protected]
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His words would be worth something if he had won his tema west seat without military help. His own party members voted him out because too many were rendered jobless by the so called paperless port project. The port uses even more paperwork now than before and those not too close to Carlos are out. That's why he got help from the army in the collation room. We shall see 2024.
Deceptive Party! These guys want to rule Ghana again? Well......over to you, Ghanainas!
Some group of Ghanaians are shallow in thinking and understand simple case study. NDC said the factory is completed and was produced sugar for human consumption. Some myopic Ghanaians did see anything wrong about that disrespectful move by NDC then. Another Government took over and said that initial narratives that sugar factory is ready is ***barred word*** lies and therefore the Government is seeking for strategic investor to partner the Government for the factory to run. What crime has that Government committed ??? We should elevate our political discussions to a level honesty and truth without as usual propaganda.
Carlos MP ballot papers chopper you stole my container and sold it to your NPP foot Soldie and you’re here talking about sugar buying is it not the same. God have mercy.
Mahama and his people spent the money meant for this project and bought sugar from the market to display for votes. This government is also not investing further into this same project because they will not get anything to eat but because the NDC wants to deceive mostly gullible Ghanaian voters again, they are making promises to arrest someone. When every citizen looks for personal interest ahead of national interest, this is what happens. Bad politicians come from bad citizens.
Get the factory running, we won't take these ***barred word*** from NPP/NDC any more. Saglemi housing project same outcome and the debts are pilling up for us and our children. Arise Ghana and lets save this country from NDC/NPP.
Please Sir, having diagnosed what the problem is , It will not be too much to find the solution to get the factory running. We need to get the factory running and stop this politics we play with each other. How much will the 37 missing things cost us to get things going. Provide for it in a budget and lets get it working. We are too vindictive in our politics. Even if the Previous Government messed things up, now we have the opportunity to make it better. lets look at the bigger picture and the benefits this factory will bring instead of our selfish narrow partisan interests. We are now in the 6th year of this government and the factory is still not functional. Please wake up. The youth need jobs . We are about to pump 1 billion into a youth start programme and cannot find the little extra that is required to get the factory running?. Why do we allow our selfishness to override common sense. What is wrong with the black man.
NPP government like talking too much! You are in office for almost 6 years and still blaming the NDC. If you are not careful, you will not have anything to show when you leave office. Mahama spent just 4 years and did marvelously well.
EMPTY TALK.... AND SO WHAT....SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS...YOU ARE THERE TALKING SSSSSSS