Deputy Government Spokesperson Shemima Muslim has clarified that the One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative was not scrapped by the current administration but had already begun winding down under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) before the end of its term.
Speaking in response to claims that the policy had been canceled under the new National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, Shemima said such accusations were misleading.
“The program itself was almost stopped towards the end of the NPP administration. So it would be erroneous to say that the NDC scrapped it. The NPP itself had not been able to quite achieve the mandate of that program,” she explained.
Her comments come amid public debates surrounding the integration of aspects of the 1D1F initiative into the government’s new 24-Hour Economy policy. The Minister for Trade recently yesterday told Parliament that there is currently no active 1D1F policy, adding that the ministry is now focusing on agro-processing parks under the broader 24-hour initiative.
“Mr. Speaker, we are doing agro-parks, which seek to be a great game changer, especially in the agro-processing zones… to produce around the clock for import substitution, export, foreign exchange, and to create jobs for our teeming youth,” the Minister said.
Shemima acknowledged that while the 1D1F policy may no longer be formally active, some factories established under the initiative, particularly private ones, remain operational.
“It is safe to say that there are a few factories that still exist. Some were privately owned and were simply brought under the 1D1F umbrella. And to the extent that they are operating, providing jobs, and adding value to Ghana’s raw materials, they should still thrive.” she said.
She further emphasized that the 24-Hour Economy policy is not a replacement but a broader economic framework, which still accommodates initiatives like 1D1F. she indicated that the 24-Hour Economy subsumes and strengthens projects under the 1D1F to ensure a dynamic and holistic industrial model
Meanwhile, when questioned in Parliament about transitional support for factories affected by the phase-out of 1D1F, the Trade Minister clarified that discussions were ongoing with stakeholders and that a full policy paper on the 24-hour economy would be presented to Parliament soon.
The 1D1F program, launched under former President Akufo-Addo’s administration, aimed to establish at least one factory in each of Ghana’s 261 districts.