Kumasi and Sogakope will be the beneficiaries of sugar-processing and cylinder-manufacturing factories respectively to be set-up by Chinese company, Sky Team Ningbo.
The sugar-processing factory in Sogakope has already taken-off, and according to the CEO of the Sky Team Group, Annie Shen, the company is looking forward to making an impact in the Ghanaian economy by recruiting several Ghanaians to work in these factories.
Speaking at the official launch of the Sky Team Ningbo group in Ghana, she said: “I think we need about 1,000 to 2,000 people to work in the sugar factory, and for the cylinder manufacturing we will need about 100 people”.
The CEO also added that she was encouraged to do business in Ghana by the Deputy Ghanaian Ambassador to China, Dr. Charles Dwamena, who sold government’s ‘One District, One Factory’ project to her team.
“When I spoke to Dr. Dwamena, I was persuaded to take advantage of setting up the factories in Ghana and also attract more Chinese investors to come to Ghana, increasing the employment rate and the economy,” she told B&FT in an interview after the launch in Accra.
Government’s ‘One District One Factory’ policy is intended to create the environment conducive for each local government area to own factories relative to their well-endowed resources, and capacity to provide jobs and wealth for the country.
She also announced that with regard to the cylinder manufacturing in Kumasi, it is likely to start operation in three months’ time.
The Mayor of Kumasi, Osei Assibey Antwi, expressed his excitement about the prospects of siting the factory in Kumasi.
“We have a population of about 2 million, and every day the number of people that passes through Kumasi is 1.5million. This means that if you put up any business in Kumasi, you have the numbers; and what every businessman would want is to get returns on their investment.
“Kumasi is strategically located, and for the reason that people from all three regions in the North pass through Kumasi before they get to Accra: and we share boundary with a lot of the regions – Brong Ahafo, Eastern and Western Regions – so the factory will not only serve the people of Kumasi but a lot of people,” he said.
Ghana’s Deputy Ambassador to China, Dr. Charles Dwamena, indicated that as a Mission their job is to rope-in credible Chinese companies to invest in Ghana.
“When we looked around, we saw that Sky Team Ningbo Company Limited is indeed a very credible company with vast experience in Africa.
“They are already in Kenya, and in Ghana they are already doing some sort of business with the Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company. So we saw it as an opportunity for them to not just do business – manufacture the cylinder in China and send them here – but rather come to Ghana and set up a manufacturing base so we can export to other West African countries and the entire African continent.”
Source: Eugene DAVIS/Ghana
