1D1F ON COURSE …As President Commissions One Project in Asokwa

 By Adu Koranteng

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has commissioned the spring and Bolts Limited, one of the companies under Government’s 1-District-1-Factory initiative.

The company, which is engaged in the manufacture of U-bolts, leaf springs, trailer suspension parts, bolts and nuts, can import machinery and equipment duty-free, will, amongst others, not pay duty on raw materials imported for production, and will enjoy a tax holiday for five years.

Additionally, the Ministry of Trade and Industry will attach two technical experts to provide free advisory services to the company, and staff under the NABCO programme will be posted to the company.

Delivering his remarks at the commissioning ceremony, President Akufo-Addo noted that a modernized economy, as he is seeking to build in Ghana, must have a strong industrial sector, and, hence, his commitment to the successful implementation of the 1-District-1-Factory initiative.

The implementation of the 1-District-1-Factory initiative has received significant support from the business community, as well as from both local and international financial institutions.

“As a show of support to this initiative, some local banks have pledged about GH¢2.5 billion, whilst some leading financial institutions from the UK, US and China have pledged over $700 million in credit lines to be accessed by Business Promoters. The Ministry of Trade and Industry is facilitating the engagement and negotiations between Business Promoters and these financial institutions,” the President said.

Particularly happy about the commissioning of the Spring and Bolts Ltd., he noted that the company is engaged in a sector that is critical to the industrialization programme of Ghana.

“The manufacture of machines, machine parts and components, as well as the development of the Automobile and Vehicle Assembly industry, are two of the strategic anchor initiatives being promoted by the Government as part of the Industrial Transformation Plan. Spring and Bolts Limited which is being commissioned is a good reflection of the potential in these two sectors,” President Akufo-Addo added.

The President also revealed that “Government is also currently in negotiations with leading global vehicle manufacturing companies to establish Assembly Plants in Ghana, and, very soon, formal notification of these negotiations will be made public for the Ghanaian people”.

He also told the gathering of another programme being implemented by the Ministry of Trade and Industry to link SMEs, such as Spring & Bolts, to the supply chain of big multinational companies as suppliers of critical inputs and parts.

“The Industrial Sub-Contracting Exchange (SPX) has been designed to create a strategic platform for matching local SMEs to large scale companies. The outcome of this programme will enhance the productive capacities of Ghanaian SMEs and increase their revenues whiles the country will have the advantage of retaining critical foreign currency that is currently being used to import parts, raw materials and components,” he added.

President Akufo-Addo congratulated Mr. George Amankwa the business promoter and Springs Bolts Ltd., and his team, for a great job done to support the industrialization drive in Ghana.