The government has launched a renewed effort to bring the Komenda Sugar Factory back to life, with the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry officially setting up an Interim Management Committee (IMC) to lead the process, reports Ghana Times.
The committee was inaugurated on Monday during a brief ceremony held at the Ministry’s office. Trade Minister Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare described the factory as an important national project that had been left unused for too long because of various challenges related to operations and supply of raw materials.
She recalled that the factory was first built in 2013 after the government signed a deal with an Indian company, Seftech India Pvt, to construct a plant that could produce 125 metric tonnes of sugar each day. The project, which cost $36.25 million, was funded through a loan from India EXIM Bank and a grant from what is now known as Ghana EXIM Bank. It was expected to later expand into producing ethanol and generating power.
Despite some attempts to revive it—including working with private investors like Park Agrotech in 2020 and involving West Africa Agro-Tech Company Limited under the One District, One Factory programme—the factory has not been able to run consistently.
Minister Ofosu-Adjare said the government has now put together a dedicated committee to look into what has gone wrong and recommend practical steps to fix it. The committee will review the state of the factory’s equipment, study its financial position, look into how sugarcane is being sourced, find a reliable investment partner, assess the Ministry’s existing plan for the factory, and develop a clear plan to get it fully operational.
She said bringing the factory back into use would help create jobs for local communities and reduce the amount of sugar the country imports. The government, she added, is ready to support the committee with all the help it needs to complete its work.
Kwame Owusu Sakyere, who was named as chairman of the IMC, thanked the President and the Ministry for giving the team the responsibility of handling the factory’s future. “We’re grateful for the trust shown in us,” he said. “We will do our best to carry out our duties and meet the deadlines.”
Other members of the committee include Douglas Mensah, John Doku, Lt/Col (Rtd) George Afful, and Ransford Vanni Amoah. The committee has been given eight weeks to submit its first report and recommendations to the Ministry.
The creation of the IMC is seen as a serious push by the government to restart one of Ghana’s major industrial projects and turn it into a reliable source of jobs and reduced imports.
