Minister of Trade and Industry Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah has absolved management of the Komenda Sugar Factory of any blame in the quick shutdown of the facility.

He said the shutdown, which will come weeks after the factory’s commissioning by President John Dramani Mahama, is due to difficulties in access to direct power from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

“Almost all industries depend on power. So, if you have heard about some difficulties with the Komenda Sugar Factory, it is not about them closing down it is because they have had difficulties in having access to direct power from ECG and have been using some generators and transformers which don’t give them all the power they need.

“So, it is not a fault of the factory that they have that problem,” the minister disclosed.

Dr Spio-Garbrah was speaking at the launch of the ECOWAS Industrial Summit in Accra on Wednesday, June 8.

The ministry in a statement on Tuesday, June 7 denied reports of the shutdown of the factory, announcing that the shutdown is scheduled for the end of June, 2016 rather.

There has been controversy around the state of the factory with some political actors questioning the commissioning done on May 30 when a shutdown is imminent.

But speaking at the launch, Dr Spio-Garbrah said: “Factories are very unique because they must have consistent power”.

He insisted that the challenge is general within the power sector of the country.

Central Region Minister Kweku Ricketts-Hagan had told TV3 last week that the shutdown was to allow equipment to undergo maintenance.