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The flag bearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2024 general elections, John Dramani Mahama, has said his administration would establish staple crop processing zones in all 16 regions of the country if the party wins the pending elections.
The former president explained that this initiative, which is part of the party’s industrial policy, would give the respective regions a comparative advantage in manufacturing and add value to their products.
At a political dialogue with the Ghana Industries Association in Accra yesterday, former President Mahana said his administration would partner with the private sector to establish industrial zones, especially for crops such as oil palm, cashew, cotton, groundnuts, cocoa, soy, cassava and shea nuts.
“We are going to take each region to see what their comparative advantage is in terms of agriculture and agro-processing. We will then partner with the private sector to create an industrial zone in the region to be able to absorb agricultural products and add value to them, either for domestic consumption or export.
“I don’t think the location of industries should be contiguous to political districts. It must be concurrent with the availability of raw materials, proximity to the port, water, energy and so on,” he explained.
The policy, former President Mahama said, would be integrated into the party’s flagship economic revival programme, the 24-hour economy.
The meeting is part of the former president’s commitment to various actors in the economic sector to raise their concerns and express them in the party’s manifesto.
According to the former President, many industries were producing well below their capacity due to constraints such as availability of raw materials, access to credit, high utility rates, high taxes and market access.
“Under the 24-hour economy policy, the government will work with the private sector to address challenges that limit its production capacity. Therefore, the 24-hour economy policy will help boost production for both domestic consumption and export, while creating jobs for our teeming youth,” Mr. Mahama reiterated.
In his opinion, considering the economic destruction overseen by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government, a doubling of measures to revamp the economy was necessary to save the Ghanaian economy from total collapse.
“Time is not on our side, the scale of the destruction of our economy is so colossal that we must more than double our efforts working around the clock to restore our country to where it belongs.
“That is why my team and I do not rest at all preparing to change our situation as soon as I am sworn in on January 7, 2025, by the grace of God,” he assured.
To the AGI, the former president said: “I will be your main defender and ambassador. “We will travel together and promote their products together both in Ghana and abroad.”
AGI President Dr Kwesi Ayim Darke said the association was ready and willing to partner with the former President and the NDC to address obstacles hampering the operations of the association.
Lamenting the high cost energy industries have to contend with, Dr. Darke suggested the country take a look at the source of nuclear power; although expensive, to build but cheaper in tariffs and sustainable, for the survival of companies.
He also mentioned the macroeconomic environment, cost of raw materials, especially agricultural products for production, frustrations in the tax exemption regime and unfair trade deals as inhibiting factors for the growth of industries.
Dr Darke suggested that for the vision of the 24-hour economy to be realized, former President Mahama should consider commercial farming, the production of specific products to feed the industry, scrutiny of Ghana’s trade agreements with other countries and continents, the revision of the tax exemption regime and the improvement of macroeconomic economics. -economic indicators.
BY JULIO YAO PETETSI
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