General News of Wednesday, 15 January 2020

Source: ghanaguardian.com

Dr. Akoto Osei exposes Akufo-Addo on 1D1F, says party can't deliver policy in 4 years

Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr Akoto Osei Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr Akoto Osei

With barely twelve months to the end of its 4-year mandate, the NPP has admitted it cannot deliver it's promise to build one factory each across all district in the country.

The Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei says it is not possible for Government to deliver to complete the programme in four years.

This comes at the back of an "in-depth assessment," he says.

The NPP on several platform has touted itself of delivering on the IDIF program, promising that by December 2020, all district will have their fair share of the programme.

But Dr Akoto Osei has dismantled that assertion, saying the IDIF an objective that cannot be be done in all districts before the end of its first term in office.

The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in its manifesto ahead of the 2016 general elections promised to build one factory in every district across the country.

It highlighted the flagship project as one its major interventions to drive the country’s industrialisation agenda.

According to Dr. Akoto Osei, in-depth assessment by his ministry of the intricacies surrounding the policy, particularly with private sector facilitation, makes it highly improbable to fully implement the much-touted initiative in four years.

“From what the Minister [Trades and Industry Ministry] said, I don’t believe that all 275 factories will be ready," he told Evans Mensah on PM Express on JoyNews Tuesday.

"Keep in mind that it is not the government that is producing the factories. It is the private sector and you cannot force them to produce the factories. You can only facilitate.

" If you look at the two, then it is not possible to say that you can deliver because it is not upon you. You are facilitating”.

The Minister further added that; “It [One District One Factory] is an objective. It doesn’t mean we will complete it in four years.”

The Ministry is holding its maiden Results Fair at the Accra International Conference Centre.

The event is geared towards creating a platform for the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to recount their achievements since they assumed office.