1D1F is not novel; countries are doing it even faster- IMANI boss

The President of IMANI Africa is asking the government to match its promises on the One District One Factory (IDIF) policy with thoughtful action.

Franklin Cudjoe does not understand why government will introduce a tax regime he claims is debilitating and may thwart efforts by private businessmen to support the 1D1F policy.

Describing the new tax policies announced by the Finance Minister as “kangaroo dance” the IMANI Africa boss said the private businessmen will only react if the economic environment is favorable.

He was reacting to comments by the Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Maafo that government will not be fixated into building companies in each district as spelt out in its campaign.

While he agrees in part with Mr Maafo, the IMANI president told Joy FM’s Super morning show host Daniel Dadzie, Wednesday, the original policy in the manifesto was not realistic.

Osafo Maafo

“The Senior is speaking reality. There is a wide gulf between whenever the Senior Minister speaks and what has been, apparently well thought through on paper which is the manifesto…The Senior minister understands that these kinds of sloganeering don’t give you much at the end of the day. So he is being now deliberate, careful and targeted.

He said the blanket promise of providing factories in every district is unrealistic, adding, “policymaking is not like vaccination.”

Franklin Cudjoe said the government should have concentrated on existing factories, rather than seek to build new ones.

He was quick to add, however, that the promise by the government to build factories is not exactly “novel” and berated the government for its rather slow implementation of the policy.

He said in six months, the Rwandan government was able to put a factory plant in place which has now employed over a thousand of its citizens and wondered why in 18 months government has yet to put anything on the ground.

The NPP in its 2016 manifesto promised to build at least 216 factories in four years under the 1d1f policy.

Having won the election, the government promised to complete at least 50 factories in its first year in office. However, the president was only able to break the ground for only one factory at Ekumfi in the Central Region.

At a Graphic Business meeting, the Senior Minister Osafo Maafo said 51 of the companies will be up and running by close of year 2018.

He also admitted that not all districts will necessarily have factories but a stimulus package will be given to all districts, especially those where factories will not be cited so that they can invest in areas of interest.

Franklin Cudjoe said the Senior is right. He said the manifesto promise was a dream and the government must now begin to walk that dream.