The Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Mr Richard Ahiagbah has said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and their flagbearer John Dramani Mahama are problems for the nation.
He accused the NDC and their Minority in Parliament of frustrating the One-District-One-Factory (1D1F) initiative.
He indicated that more jobs would be created if the opposition lawmakers in Parliament stopped blocking exemptions for companies under the 1D1F initiative.
“One hundred and seventy thousand (170,000) jobs have been created under the 1D1F initiative so far. But even more jobs would be created if NDC MPs stop blocking exemptions for companies under the 1D1F initiative. The NDC and Mahama are the problem. Let’s say NO to Mahama & the NDC,” he wrote on X.
This was after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the State of the Nation address he delivered on Tuesday February 27, appealed to Parliament to, as a matter of urgency, consider the approval of outstanding tax exemptions stemming from the year 2021 to send positive signals to the business community.
The president said the main cornerstone of our move towards the industrial transformation of Ghana is the “One-District-One Factory” policy, this Government’s iconic flagship initiative. It demonstrates how government can stimulate and incentivize the private sector to expand and diversify manufacturing across the country by harnessing locally available raw materials.
It is significant to note that, within the relatively short span of six (6) years, Government has directly intervened to stimulate interest in, and support many private sector business promoters to make significant investments in manufacturing under the One-District-One-Factory Programme.
Mr. Speaker, this has led to the development of three hundred and twenty-one (321) 1D1F projects, consisting of two hundred and eleven (211) new, medium to large scale factories, and the conscious enabling of one hundred and ten (110) existing companies, to inject significant capital investments into the expansion of production facilities, and diversification of products. These business promoters have so far invested in one hundred and forty-two (142) districts across the country, across all sixteen (16) regions, and achieving fifty-four percent (54%) district coverage.
The aspiration is to bring a 1D1F project to every district. Within this period, some one hundred and seventy thousand (170,000) jobs have been created under the novel 1D1F Programme by companies in operation.
“Mr. Speaker, Government approved a number of incentives, including duty exemptions to support the implementation of the 1D1F Programme. In 2019 and 2020, thirty-seven (37) 1D1F companies were granted exemptions approval by this august house. However, from 2021 to date, no exemptions have been granted.
“I urge the House to consider and approve all the outstanding exemption applications as a matter of urgency, to send positive signals to the business community. The exemptions law that you have passed provides for such exemptions under existing laws.”