Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, the Minister-Designate for Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, has revealed her commitment to revive the Komenda Sugar Factory in order to stop sugar imports.
During her vetting before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Wednesday, January 22, she made it known that the factory’s current state can be attributed to a lack of raw materials, missing parts, and unresolved operational challenges.
“I have been told that as we speak, the Komenda Sugar Factory is not operational, and one of the major challenges the factory has suffered is the lack of raw materials to feed that industry and some missing parts,” she remarked.
“But it’s obvious we need that factory to work for the benefit of Ghanaians because we are importing about half a million dollars worth of sugar into the country,” she explained.
Ofosu-Adjare revealed that funds had previously been allocated to address the factory’s issues, though the exact condition of the facility remains uncertain.
“I have also been told that monies were released to solve these problems. And the total health of the factory should be done after an evaluation. So I will work to ensure we know the actual health of the factory,” she said.
The Komenda Sugar Factory, built with significant national investment, was established and expected to reduce Ghana’s reliance on sugar imports and create employment opportunities for the youth.
However, since its commissioning in 2016, it has struggled with operational challenges, leading to intermittent closures.
Ghana imports around $500,000 worth of sugar annually, a situation the minister-designate considers unsustainable.