1D1F so far: Did John Kumah lie or Ken Ofori Atta got it wrong?

Government says work has commenced on 15 factories under its 1-District, 1-Factory (1D1F) initiative.

Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta made this known at his presentation of the midyear budget review on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, July 19.

According to the Finance Minister, these factories are in four out of the 10 regions in the country.

“Implementation has commenced on 15 projects in the Eastern, Central, Brong Ahafo and Greater Accra regions. A total amount of GH?416,692,313.50 has so far been approved through the Ghana EXIM Bank to finance the projects.”

He noted that completion of the 15 factories will provide a total of 13, 022 direct and indirect jobs for Ghanaians.

Ken Ofori Atta further said government has so far received some 781 proposals for the 1D1F project, out of which 623 has been reviewed with 332 currently processed for financial support.

He also said there are plans to introduce some incentive packages in order to attract more investors to partner government in establishing more factories.

“In order to attract more private sector investments in support of 1D1F programme, cabinet has approved incentive packages including tax waivers which will be presented to this august house for approval,” Ken Ofori Atta said.

Prior to the Finance Minister’s announcement, Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Plan (NEIP), John Kumah stated that government has commissioned 19 factories across the country.

“I was present, and I have posted the videos and pictures, and this is from the Secretariat of the 1D1F. I was present when the National Coordinator made the announcement that what we were commissioning was the 19th of the factories that have been commissioned so far,” Mr Kumah said on 3FM on June 22.

He further went ahead to post videos on his personal facebook page where he was present at the commissioning of the supposed 19th factory.

This figure however contradicts the 15 factories Ken Ofori Atta mentioned while presenting the midyear budget review to Parliament.

In June 2018, John Kumah told 3FM’s Sunrise morning show that he was aware of 19 factories being commissioned, and suggested that the 1D1F Secretariat and the Trades Ministry lacked proper coordination on the 1D1F programe.

With these contradictory figures, the 1D1F Secretariat may have to set the record straight by confirming which of the two gentlemen – Finance Minister and John Kumah – is telling the truth.