Osafo-Maafo, Alan Kyerematen and other dignitaries in a group photograph
Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo says following the establishment of the ultra-modern US$20 million noodles factory facility at the Baatsona in the Tema-West Municipality of the Greater Accra region, some 150 direct jobs will be added to the economy.
According to him, the noodles factory which falls under the One-District-One-Factory (1D1F) initiative of government is expected produce over 30,000 metric tonnes of noodles per annum and 8,000 metric tonnes of noodles per year.
Speaking at the ceremony to commission the factory in Tema on March 10, Osafo-Maafo indicated that the idea of producing locally was very much in line with government’s vision of industrialization agenda to transform the economy from extraction and export of raw materials to an industrialized economy anchored on value-addition.
“Under the policy of the One District One Factory (1D1F) which is such a basic common sense philosophy that you can’t have all your industries scattered around one particular part of Ghana because your labor is spread throughout the whole country….so the best way to ensure easy access to employment is to have a concept of 1D1F and that is what this government is promoting”
He appealed to the managers and producers of ‘Indomie’ noodles; De United Foods Industries Limited (DUFIL), under the newly established 1D1F factory to also focus on other markets in the northern part of country.
“We have a very big market up in the northern part of Ghana for the spaghetti and noodles and we [government] would give you the relevant incentives to repeat this project in the northern part of this country,” he assured.
Trade Minister, Alan Kyeremanten on his part said the establishment of the factory will help to stabilize the cedi through a reduction in the importation of noodles.
“Before the establishment of this factory, we’ve had to use foreign exchange to import ‘Indomie’ noodles into our country and now by establishing this plant here, we’re providing an opportunity for us to save our scarce foreign exchange resources which we can use for other development projects”
Mr Kyeremanten, however, disclosed that the factory will be sourcing its local raw materials and packaging right here in Ghana in line with the idea of producing and distributing locally.
