{"id":411163,"date":"2017-08-11T19:13:58","date_gmt":"2017-08-11T19:13:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ghana-mma.com\/2017\/08\/11\/hot-audio-komenda-sugar-factory-never-produced-sugar\/"},"modified":"2017-08-11T19:13:58","modified_gmt":"2017-08-11T19:13:58","slug":"hot-audio-komenda-sugar-factory-never-produced-sugar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2017\/08\/11\/hot-audio-komenda-sugar-factory-never-produced-sugar\/","title":{"rendered":"Hot audio: ‘Komenda Sugar Factory never produced sugar’"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The revamped Komenda sugar factory in the Central region never produced even a cube of sugar. Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Robert Ahomka Lindsay has said.<\/p>\n

According to him, the supposed sugar which was shown on television was a semi-finished product which was bought by government.<\/p>\n

Mr. Ahomka Lindsay expos\u00e9 came when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to give details of work on the defunct factory.<\/p>\n

The Komenda Sugar Factory was first established in 1960s by Ghana\u2019s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was part of his economic policy for industrialization but collapsed.<\/p>\n

It was later revamped in May 2016 by the erstwhile Mahama-led administration with a $35-million Indian government facility.<\/p>\n

President Mahama at the inauguration said factory said it has a\u00a0manufacturing appetite capable of producing 1,250 tonnes of sugar daily and also create about 7000 direct and indirect jobs.<\/p>\n

But the factory closed down in July 2016 after the sugar cane season petered off.<\/p>\n

The shutdown fueled criticism from the then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) that the commissioning of the project was for propaganda value rather than sound economic judgement.<\/p>\n

To prove their critics wrong, government led some media personnel at the site and proved that indeed the factory was working.<\/p>\n

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However, the move the set the record straight by the erstwhile Mahama administration, Mr. Ahomka Lindsay said was just to deceive Ghanaians.<\/p>\n

He stated emphatically that, government bought the sugar and processed half just to prove to Ghanaians that the factor was working.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe sugar you tasted was processed sugar bought by government. We have never put sugarcane through the full system of the factory\u201d the deputy Trade Minister stressed.<\/p>\n

What has made the issue murkier, he noted is the total land area is not enough to provide the sugarcane for the factory.<\/p>\n

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As an immediate measure, Mr. Ahomka Lindsay said they had to look for lands around Winneba to grow the sugarcane for feed the factory.<\/p>\n

Play attached audio for more<\/strong>