GAWU writes off Komenda Sugar factory, demands answers

The General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) says the defunct Komenda Sugar factory should be considered by Ghanaians as a wasted investment.

The Union said, from checks it had made, there is no way the factory can be revamped.

General Secretary of the GAWU, Mr Edward Kareweh demanded that government explains to Ghanaians the status of the factory, stressing that Ghanaians had the right to know why the factory is still not in operation.

“They should be accounting to Ghanaians because that’s what governance is about. They should tell Ghanaian the state of the factory and why it is still not operational. Ghanaians must demand to know reasons why the factory is lying idle because it’s tax payer’s money,” Mr Kareweh demanded.

He called on the Minister of Trade and Industry to be forthcoming with information on the sugarcane factory.

“Someone must account to us; the Minister for Trade and Industry should tell Ghanaians in the face that where we have reached we cannot put this factory into operation or we will put it into operation . if we have lost the $35million he should let us know.

We’re building factories under the 1D, 1F but why is the Komenda sugarcane factory not operating, at a time new factories are being built? if we treat new factories the way we have treated the sugarcane factory, then it’s a total waste,” he lamented.

Mr Kareweh lamented further, “this is how we are unnecessarily throwing money, wasting our resources and creating poverty for this country.”

The GAWU General Secretary disclosed that lands to be used to cultivate sugar cane to feed the factory were no more available since they had been leased for oil palm and rubber projects.

“No one will keep his farm waiting for the factory when he has no idea when the factory is taking off and when there is alternative use for the land,” he said.

The Komenda Sugar Factory was established in 1964 but became defunct over the years due to poor management and technical challenges.

It was re-commissioned in May 2016 at a cost of $35million from an Indian EXIM Bank facility

President Akufo-Addo during a visit to the factory in February 2022 assured that the $35 million defunct Komenda Sugar Factory will begin sugar production by April 2022.

It was expected that the factory would revive local sugar production, which would invariably reduce the importation of the commodity into the country.