Ghana is set to produce more locally-manufactured tomato paste, ketchup and tomato juice and sauce following the establishment of a tomato manufacturing company at Shai Osudoku in the Greater Accra Region.
The company, Leefound Food Stuff (GH) Ltd, is part of the government’s One District One Factory initiative and is expected to process 60,000 tons of tomatoes annually for both domestic and foreign markets.
The purpose of the US$ 23 million company is to reduce the importation of processed tomato products, increase foreign exchange through export, while creating about 3000 jobs for Ghanaians.
The factory, which was inaugurated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday, belongs to two Chinese firms, Tianjin Limmin Condiments Co. Ltd. and Grand Rise Food Co. (GH) Ltd.
President Akufo-Addo said the establishment of the company was another example of the confidence foreign investors had in the Ghanaian economy which had been under his management for the past three years.
The President expressed the government’s commitment to develop more of such factories that could process raw materials into finished products for local consumption and for export to other African countries
He noted that the government, in addition to efforts to support investments under the One District One Factory Programme, was developing industrial freezones, also known as Industrial Parks that had the potential to be the biggest industrial enclave in West Africa
He said the establishment of Leefound Food Stuff Ltd was born out of the good relations between Ghana and China, adding, “We appreciate all the work Chinese Companies are doing here in our country.”
The President appealed to the Chiefs and people of Shai Osu Doku to give the company their maximum support and expressed the government’s commitment to giving the company the necessary support to enable it succeed.
Like other parts of the country, he said Shai Osukoku would witness significant development under his Presidency.
The Minister of Trade and Industries, Alan Kyerematen, said the government’s One District One Factory was being modeled like China’s concept of developing remote areas through the concept of township enterprises.
In addition to creating jobs, he said the company would earn Ghana foreign exchange through exports to other African markets, and ensure import substitution through the consumption of locally manufactured tomato paste.
FROM YAW KYEI, SHAI OSUDOKU
