Several months after the completion of the building expected to house a leather factory in Yorogo, a suburb in the Bolgatanga Municipality, machines are still yet to be procured for the purpose of tanning leather. The factory falls under the government’s One District One Factory (1D1F) programme.
When the MCE for Bolgatanga, Rex Asanga, spoke about the state of the factory, he mentioned that the Ministry of Trade and Industry is still in the process of procuring the machines needed to run the factory.
Mr. Asanga explained that he was not in the position to give definitive timelines towards the procurement of the machines as well as the installation of same.
He made these statements on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show today, Monday, January 16, 2023.
“The problem is the machines. They have not been able to get the machines that would be used for the production. I would have to reach the ministry and see how far they have gone,” he said.
When the news team from A1 Radio went to the factory’s location today, they noticed that portions of the roof had been ripped off. The metal gate that guarded the building’s entryway had been lifted, indicating possible tampering.
It would be recalled that in March 2022 when Mr. Asanga spoke on the same platform, he mentioned that the leather factory under the 1 District 1 Factory (1D1F) policy of the Akufo-Addo led government would be made operational as soon as authorities are able to procure the right machinery for its operations.
He said attention has been turned to Burkina Faso in an attempt to get the needed equipment. Once that is done, the 60 youth who have been selected to run the place would spring into action.
When Mr. Asanga again spoke to the issue on Friday, July 29, 2022, about the state of the leather factory, the MCE, Rex Asanga, noted that the situation remained unchanged.
“As you know, the infrastructure has been completed. What we are waiting for is the installation of leather tanning machines. That has been the problem. The Ministry of Trade is having difficulty in getting machines.”
“They have looked around all the factories that used to produce the leather. All the factories that used to produce them have actually shut down so that has been the challenge. That is what has stalled up to now.”
Meanwhile, according to Mr. Asanga, plans are afoot to properly acquire and register the land the factory is situated on.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
