Residents of Komenda are gearing up to protest against the plan to lease the local sugar factory to an Indian firm.
They argue that this decision will eliminate the job opportunities they had hoped for when the factory was initially established.
This protest follows Minister K.T. Hammond’s announcement that the Komenda Sugar Factory will be leased to West African Agro Limited, an Indian firm, for a renewable period of 15 to 20 years.
According to the local media reports, representatives from the Concerned Citizens of Komenda Traditional Area voiced their expectation that the government would buy sugarcane from local farmers. However, the new management intends to import semi-refined sugar for processing into white sugar, instead of supporting local sugarcane production.
Convenor Samuel Awudza expressed concern, stating, “The work that the farmers here are supposed to be doing, you are outsourcing that work to Indian farmers.”
He continued, “We believe the government is about to take away our jobs. We are farmers who have always cultivated sugarcane. Many people even took out loans to expand their farms with the expectation that the Komenda Sugar Factory would provide job opportunities.”
“If you are going to replace these jobs with imported brown sugar from India, which will be refined here, what kind of employment are you creating?” he questioned on Tuesday.
Awudza added that the group has already informed the police about their plans. Although the police have advised against the strike.
Meanwhile, sugar cane out-growers have given the government a one-week deadline to discuss how it plans to procure their sugarcane for the Komenda factory.
The National Executives, led by National Chairman Samuel Mensah, held an emergency press conference to strongly oppose the government’s decision to import semi-refined sugar without prior consultation with them.
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