Deputy Trade and Industry Minister, Michael Okyere Baafi, has disclosed that some 150, 000 direct and indirect jobs have been created in factories operating under government’s flagship programme, One District, One factory (1D1F) in the country.
According to him, the jobs created are within the fields of agribusiness, steel manufacturing and other areas. Mr Okyere Baafi explained that government has since the initiative established one hundred and six factories at various districts out of the two hundred and seventy-five expected to be established.
The Deputy Trades Minister indicated that his ministry is currently working towards achieving its target as the 275 1D1F companies are at the various stages of completion, while the remaining 106 have been completed to generate a lot of jobs for Ghanaians.
“Mostly jobs that have been created are in the area of agribusiness, steel manufacturing and other areas that are also needed to boost the economic growth in the country. Almost about 151,000 jobs have been created which is made up of direct and indirect jobs. Direct jobs of 23,505 and indirect jobs which mostly come within the value chain and also in the area of procurement 130,277… within the time of the inception of the policy. You know the policy was the flagship policy of the government. The policy started in 2018 and from that time to now, we are talking about a period of almost four years; that is how far we have gone in the area of employment creation”.
Michael Okyere Baafi
Mr Okyere Baafi noted that government has established a secretariat to supervise the implementation of the policy.
Government to expand its production base to support job creation
Since its commencement, the 1D1F has witnessed President Akufo-Addo commissioning various factories across the country in fulfilment of his promise to Ghanaians in creating jobs for the teeming unemployed persons in the country.
In September this year, President Akufo-Addo expressed government’s intent to partner existing companies seeking expansion to create more jobs for Ghanaians under its flagship programme, the ‘One district, One factory’.
Speaking at a sod-cutting ceremony for the phase 3 and phase 4 expansion of the Shama-based Twyford-KEDA Ghana Ceramics plant, revealed that such partnerships would not be discriminatory as the jobs that would be created from this company’s expansion would be for Ghanaians.
“This commissioning and sod-cutting is testament that government is ready to partner any company that is ready to expand its production base to offer jobs to our young people. We are doing so without discrimination, being Ghanaian or foreign, so long as you are prepared to work and invest, you will have the support of this government”.
President Akufo-Addo
One District One Factory Programme is an initiative instituted by President Akuffo-Addo to address the challenges of slow economic growth at the district level through nationwide industrialization. The programme is expected to facilitate the creation of between 7,000 to 15,000 jobs per district and between 1.5 million and 3.2 million nationwide by end of 2021.
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