Breathing Life into the Sleeping Komenda Sugar Factory: IMANI Proposes 3 Necessary Actions to be Taken

Policy think tank IMANI Africa says the government’s latest attempt to revive the Komenda Sugar Factory presents a golden chance not only to restart production but also to reset Ghana’s broader industrialisation agenda.

However, the success of this new attempt will be determined by the strategies put in place by the interim committee established by the government.

According to IMANI, three foundational issues will be very critical in breathing life into the dormant factory.  

The public policy think tank says the history of Komenda and similar industrial projects shows that without addressing underlying structural weaknesses, even the most ambitious revival plans risk collapsing under the same old weight of poor planning and weak execution.

The Background

The Komenda Sugar Factory was revamped into a modern factory in 2016 with approximately US $35 million in Indian funding. But until now, it remains dormant due to chronic raw material shortages, broken purchase agreements, poor infrastructure, missing parts, and weak institutional support.

Repeated political promises have failed to yield action, leaving frustrated farmers feeling deceived and demanding board representation, while the nation continues to import substantial quantities of sugar, which is over GHC 2.37 billion in 2024. This, many analysts have vehemently opposed, indicating it undermines both food security and foreign-exchange reserves.

With the renewed effort by the current government revive the factory, IMANI proposes three actions that must be undertaken;

Raw Material Supply Must Be the Bedrock

IMANI argues that no factory can thrive without a secure supply of quality raw materials. For Komenda, that means revitalising sugarcane farming in the Central Region through long-term financing schemes, improved irrigation, and guaranteed offtake agreements.

A robust outgrower system, supported by both government and the private sector, would incentivise farmers and ensure the factory runs at full capacity year-round.

Build Technical Capacity and Local Expertise

The think tank warns against the over-reliance on imported technology without developing local skills to operate and maintain it. Too often, Ghana’s industrial plants grind to a halt because technical failures remain unresolved due to a lack of homegrown expertise.

IMANI urges that the Interim Management Committee’s (IMC) assessment of the factory should include targeted partnerships with technical institutions, creating a pool of engineers, technicians, and operators capable of sustaining operations in the long term.

Demand Execution Discipline and Accountability

IMANI insists that the Komenda project and all industrial ventures must be managed with the discipline of a business, with clear milestones, budgets, and public progress reports.

Past failures, it says, were fuelled by politically driven timelines and opaque management.

Empowering the IMC with the autonomy and resources to meet targets and holding managers accountable for missed deadlines will be critical to preventing a repeat of Komenda’s long slumber.

The Bottomline

The think tank says these solutions are not just for Komenda but for every manufacturing project Ghana undertakes. IMANI maintains that this is an opportunity to show that Ghana can run industrial projects with discipline, transparency, and local ownership.

 If Ghana gets it right this time, Komenda can be a symbol of industrial rebirth, not another evidence of a country that refuses to learn.

Read More