Ningo-Prampram Lawmaker Samuel Nartey George has said that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo did not mention a word on corruption in his 2024 State of the Nation address he delivered on Tuesday because his government is neck-deep in graft.
In the view of the opposition lawmaker, corruption has defeated the Akufo-Addo administration.
“Corruption has fought the president of Ghana and won, corruption has floored Akufo-Addo and Bawumia and put them on the floor. If corruption had not beaten Akufo-Addo and Bawumia, he would have been able to mention corruption, he did not mention corruption in his address.”
Not once did President Akufo-Addo in his 2024 State of the Nation address mention the word ‘unemployment’ or ‘corruption’, yet these are the issues we face – Sam George, MP for Ningo-Prampram#TV3NewDay pic.twitter.com/awo1FP13mp
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) February 28, 2024
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the State of the Nation address he delivered on Tuesday, February 27, spoke on governance issues, security, industry, and election 2024.
For instance, he 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.”
Meanwhile, the Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Mr Richard Ahiagbah has accused the Minority in Parliament of frustrating the One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative so far.
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 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.