Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson announced on the Citi Breakfast Show that the Komenda Sugar Factory will not be allowed to remain dormant. The facility, long closed, is a vital component of the government’s industrialisation and sugar production agenda.
Forson said the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, led by Minister Elizabeth Ofosu‑Adjare, is undertaking the necessary processes to bring the plant back online. He added that the government recognises the factory’s importance to Ghana’s industrial development and is committed to addressing the challenges that have prevented it from operating effectively.
"The Komenda Sugar Factory cannot be left to die. It needs to be revived, and I know my colleague, the Minister for Industry and Agribusiness, is working to bring it back to stream. We will have to fix that Komenda Sugar Factory as part of our sugar policy," Forson said.
The factory, established in 1964 under President Kwame Nkrumah, was rebuilt in 2013 with a sulphurless plant built by Indian company Seftech India Pvt and financed through an EXIM Bank facility and Ghana EXIM Bank support. The $36.25 million project was commissioned on 30 May 2016 by former President John Dramani Mahama, with the aim of boosting domestic sugar production and reducing imports.
Forson’s statement signals a renewed focus on reviving key industrial assets. The next steps will involve securing investment, finalising technical upgrades and ensuring a sustainable operational model for the Komenda Sugar Factory.
