Akwatia gets oil processing factory

The Japanese government has agreed to establish an Oil Palm Processing Factory at Akwatia, the capital of Demkyembour District in the Eastern Region, under the ‘One District, One Factory’ programme of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

This was revealed when a group of Japanese investors from CDC Company – represented by Prof. Kiyozo Okada, Minoru Mori, Takeshi Ryo, Paul Amaning and Arisa Hachiya Ismail – visited Akwatia to hold a meeting with the authorities of Denkyembour and other stakeholders, leading to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to pave the way for the initiative to kick-start.

Dr. Kwadwo Samuel Frimpong, economic advisor from the Office of the President who led the delegation to the district, said that the programme is captured in the NPP manifesto, with the aim of establishing a private partnership project to create jobs for the teeming unemployed youth.

According to him, the team had met with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and had agreed to support them in any way possible to ensure the success of the project for the benefit of the company and the Ghanaian economy at large.

Seth Birikorang Ofosu, DCE who signed the MoU on behalf of Denkyembour District, and witnessed by Mercy Adu Gyamfi, Member of Parliament (MP) for Akwatia, noted that the major cash crop in the district is oil palm and assured the investors of the readiness of the district to embrace the proposed investment.

The DCE added that the palm oil processing factory when established, would increase the farmers’ oil palm production and income as well as create employment for the youth in the District.

The Managing Director of PMKF Ghana Ltd, Paul Amaning, was happy that his outfit facilitated the proposed factory.

Prof. Kiyo Okade, an expert in oil palm plantation and exportation, claimed that his outfit had come out with a scheme to ensure that value is added to the oil palm produce to create jobs for the farmers and also generate revenue for the district.

The Director of Oil Palm Research Institute (OPRI), Sylvester K Derry, stressed that the raw material base should be secured for a successful running of the factory which.

Osabarima Kofi Boateng III, the chief of Akwatia, assured the company that land is available for the project.