One district, one warehouse, a key determiner of other government initiatives was rolled out by the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in Ejura in the Ashanti Region on October 20, 2017 as a component of the government’s Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication programme (IPEP).
Indeed, this initiative did receive all the attention it deserved despite the belief by many that it was a mirage and totally unrealistic campaign pledge. Nevertheless, the inception of this project, for some Ghanaians was very necessary, since it would beef up the stock of foodstuffs in the country when post harvest losses are prevented. Again, these facilities would not only help store food produced but will improve our fiscal policy in terms of revenue mobilization and when successful, would also facilitate the country’s quest to earn more foreign exchange by adding value to its produced, if managed well on a very practical module.
But, the only challenge identified by some sections of analyst was the mode of funding to the completion stage. Certainly, we cannot deny the fact that the most sensitive veins of every capital development project is its effective source of funding, a catalyst for every sustainable project.
However, the public perception of the feasibility of this initiative was actually reinforced by the minister’s response to the demand by an economics professional group, the Institute of Chartered Economists, Ghana (ICEG), for an update on the status of the policy.
It is against this background of detailing the circumstances surrounding the initiative that the minister for Special Development Initiative, Ms Hawa Koomson confirmed in her interview with the Daily Graphic on Thursday, March 21, 2019 that the target of the government is to construct 80 warehouses this year. And that, at the time the interview was granted, work had already begun on the first 50 which were at various stages of completion. She proceeded to assure the good people of Ghana that the 50 will be ready by the end of July this year.
In fact, the minister mentioned places where the 1,000-tonne capacity warehouses were being constructed to include Tamale, Yendi, Sandema, Salaga, Wa, Bole, Bamboi and Hohoe. The rest are Techiman, Cape coast, Dunkwa-on-Offin, Diaso, Mampong and Tepa in the Ahafo Ano-North municipality.
In view of the minister’s pronouncement, which seemingly contradict the reality as to why the facility under construction in the Ahafo Ano-North municipal is still not ready, meanwhile, the timeline is barely a month. And as beneficiaries of this facility, we so submit to the government to come out with a genuine situational report to address the question at issue.
Yusif Ibrahim
Youth Organizer
(CPP-Ahafo Ano-North)
Source: Thepressradio.com
