We are on right track industrialising Ghana - Alan Kyerematen

The Minister designate for Trade and Industry, Mr Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen says government was on course with the industrialization plan so as to help reduce the huge import of consumables into Ghana.

“We are already on the right track,” in reducing the import burden on Ghana, he said.

He said for instance that Ghana spends almost one billion dollars importing sugar, rice and poultry products every year.

This, he noted, was unacceptable particularly when the country has the capacity to produce those commodities locally.

Responding to questions when he appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Friday, Mr Kyerematen said he intends to reduce the high import burden on Ghana and that the government was was taking various steps and initiatives to stop the practice.

For him, the high import burden necessitated the government’s decision to launch the One District One Factory initiative as a way of enhancing Ghana’s capacity to self-produce many of its commodities, both for import-substitution and export purposes.

“This (high import) underpins the decision of his Excellency the President for Ghana to launch a comprehensive programme for industrial transformation, which my ministry has been leading.

And basically, this transformation programme is anchored on two parallel tracks, first, to ensure that we produce to export and secondly also, we produce for the purposes of import substitution,” Mr Kyerematen explained.

He said government has “very comprehensive transformational interventions” including building the capacities of local businesses to be able to produce commodities that Ghana spends huge sums of money on.

He said so far, 232 projects under the One District One Factory initiative were at various stages of implementation.

Mr Kyerematen also noted that government has so far established 37 business resource centres across Ghana to offer business solutions to small business and that 30 of such centres will be established in the course of the year.

The, rationale he explained, would help build the capacities of small scale businesses to become more competitive.