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The immediate past Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, has cast doubts on the relevance of government's pledge to create one factory in each of the 216 districts nationwide.

While professing his admiration for the campaign promise, which played a significant role in the run-up to the 2016 general elections, Prof. Aryeetey said nothing showed that the country needed factories in each district.
He made the observation at the Graphic Business-Stanbic Bank Breakfast Meeting in Accra on Tuesday morning.

The meeting on the theme: Public private dialogue on stability, growth and jobs, is aimed at stimulating discussions on how the country can restore macroeconomic stability to help inspire growth and job creation.

Prof Aryeetey in his submission said government should rather work at a district industrialisation plan that will serve as a benchmark for the creation of factories by private sector.

Beyond the relevance of the one district, one factory pledge, Prof Aryeetey was also of the belief that the government would not be able to implement the policy, which has now been christened as district industrialisation programme.

He also called for increased commitment to agriculture, explaining that the country's desire to arrest the teeming unemployment would not materialise if growth in agriculture was left to continue to lag behind.

He advised government to tactically modernise agriculture, invest in agric extension officers and help link farming to agro-processing.

This, he said, would improve the lot of the farming business, which will then be more empowered to create more jobs.

PEF President disagrees

However, the President of the Private Enterprise Federation (PEF), Nana Osei Bonsu, contributing said experience available at the private sector showed that the government's one district, one factory programme was "feasible, doable and relevant."

"Prof, we think that it is the way to go," he said in a response to the doubt by the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, over the relevance of the programme.

Nana Bonsu, whose organisation comprises eight umbrella bodies of business associations, said the one district one factory policy is needed to help stem unemployment and boost the capacity of the private sector while growing the economy.

He, however, agreed with Prof. Aryeetey that job creation would not occur in the cities and towns hence the need for policy initiatives to be targeted at rural communities.