According to him, all the 173 projects will be carried out by private businesses with support from the government.

[contextly_sidebar id=”QwEgM7q3JZLjblX9uYU9aZkRpn2RrRcf”]Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, Mr. Ahomka Lindsay said about 600 applications has been received from various businesses in and outside the Ghana as well as 457 business plans.

“For some time now, we have been receiving expressions of interest from various businesses in and outside Ghana. As of yesterday [Wednesday], we had received close to 600 expressions of interest and we have received from that, 457 business plans.”

He added that the ministry has set up a technical support group to review all business plans from the potential investors and establish their viability.

The Deputy Trade Minister revealed that, the support group has so far concluded that 173 of the business plans are viable, and largely positive to be considered for the roll-out of the program.

“We have formed a technical support group and we have reviewed 435 business plans. Of those 435 business plans, 173 are what you can term as bankable. They are in 95 districts and wholly private,” Ahomka Lindsay said.

Local participation

The Deputy Minister told CBS Host Bernard Avle that, majority of businesses being considered were locally owned, and that the government is ready to accord them the necessary support.

He noted that, in spite of the government’s interest in local participation, it requires them to step up to meet the requirement in order to be shortlisted.

Funding

Ahomka Lindsay said the selected businesses were making their independent financial arrangements which include loans and equity.

He however noted that, the government was supporting them through a number partnerships it had formed with banks including UMB and GCB.

Sectors of focus 

The Deputy Minister revealed that, most of the business plans received were in the agro-processing industry.

“Of that 173, 46% are in agro-processing, and 36% are manufacturing,” he said, adding that 65% of the projects were expansions of existing factories that had collapsed, or were under-functioning, while 35% were entirely new projects.

The one-district one-factory program is one of the government’s key policy initiatives seeking to revolutionize industry in Ghana.

The program will see at least one factory each, built in all 216 districts across the country.

President Akufo-Addo launched the program by commissioning the first project, a pineapple factory at Ekumfi in the Central Region.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to him, the fund will be targeted at improving the livelihood of Ghanaians in rural areas, by providing them with sustainable jobs.

“Under the Establishment of the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication project, every constituency will be allocated the cedi equivalent of one million dollars to combat poverty. We will allocate one million dollars to each constituency in this house, to improve the lives of rural dwellers and deprived communities,” he said during the budget presentation in parliament.

He explained that, the project will have a direct link with government’s one district one factory project, which is estimated to cost GH¢456.3 million and create about 350,000 jobs.

“Government will implement the one district one factory programme by initiating a massive industrialization campaign across the country, which will equip and empower communities to use their local resources to manufacture products that are in high demand both in Ghana and the sub-region,” he said.

Explaining how the projects are interlinked, Mr. Ofori-Atta stated that, the “One District, One Factory”, will also be closely intertwined with our “National Industrial Revitalization Programme”,

“This is designed as a comprehensive programme for rural industrialization, driven by the private sector and involving the setting up of at least one medium to large scale factory in each of the administrative districts of Ghana,” he noted.

He stated that, the initiative adds value to the natural resources of each district, to ensure even and spatial spread of industries to stimulate economic activity in different parts of the country.

“It has the potential of transforming the industrial landscape of Ghana, and will contribute significantly to the socio-economic development agenda of the country. We estimate that over 350,000 direct and indirect jobs would be created from all parts of the country, as a result of the implementation of the programme,” he said.

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By: Lawrence Segbefia/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

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According to him, the erstwhile government had conducted all the relevant studies and identified feasible factory projects that could be embarked upon in all districts of the country.

[contextly_sidebar id=”xsAlasDskhvJiPmjR9tNEAhuKWuQ1YUq”]“This is 1-district 1-factory initiative is actually an initiative that we started during our previous time of office in government, and I superintended this initiative. By 2007, there were about 110 districts at the time, and we had done consultations with the District Assemblies, identified 3 projects in each district, done diagnostic studies, prepared full business plans, and had consultations with a number of business partners and literally we were on the verge of taking off,” Mr. Kyerematen said.

Addressing the appointments committee of parliament at his vetting on Monday, Alan Kyerematen said the NPP’s work with regards to the project under Kufour, has prepared the grounds for the new Akufo-Addo led government to execute the policy.

“We’ve done an extensive study of all the districts, the 110 [we developed earlier], still encompasses many of the districts that we have now. This was in consultation with the District Assemblies,” he said.

When will construction of factories start?

The nominee said although the government has consulted widely and made the necessary arrangements for the project to commence, he cannot state exactly when the construction of factories will commence.

He however noted that, speed in the commencement of the various factories will be dependent on the interest and commitment of private enterprises.

‘1-district 1-factory involves private sector’

According to Alan Kyerematen, although the government will make some financial allocation for the factories, it will collaborate with the private sector to deliver them.

He added that the government will set aside part of its $1 million commitment to all 275 constituencies for the construction of the district projects.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

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According to the NPP Flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, the 1-District-1-Factory promise will ensure that each district in the North will be its own growth pole and area of wealth creation.

[contextly_sidebar id=”nWP9QIufbZq0QGrzbdBwMuNtx6bArYaA”]It is the NPP’s aim to ensure “that in every area, there is activity ongoing which will engage them and improve their living circumstances,” Nana Akufo-Addo said.

The NPP Flagbearer made this known on Tuesday when he addressed a rally at the NPP’s Northern Regional Rally, at the Tamale Jubilee Park.

Nana Akufo-Addo indicated that, the NPP’s policy for the Northern Region will also be hinged on “improving agriculture in the Northern Region, with agro-industrial business being the predominant business in the region, which will create thousands of jobs for the young people of the region.”

“It is no longer going to be necessary for young men and women of the North to go down the South to look for non-existent jobs. We are going to help create jobs right here for the people so that they can stay right here in the North and make their life here. That is why we are going to implement the 1-District-1-Factory policy.”

Outlining some of the other policies for the development of the region, Nana Akufo-Addo reiterated his commitment to the establishment of the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP), which will see every constituency receiving the equivalent of $1 million every year to deal with problems of sanitation, roads, electricity and other infrastructural needs of the constituency.

He also assured the crowd gathered at the rally that the NPP has the men and women with the “capacity, imagination and competence” to bring into fruition all the plans he has espoused for the region.”

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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German star forward Dirk Nowitzki, who helped spark Dallas to the 2011 NBA title, has re-signed with the Mavericks, the team announced on Tuesday.

The deal reportedly was for three years and $25 million and saw the 7-footer take a cut in pay to help the Mavericks sign free agent Chandler Parsons from Houston.

Nowitzki, the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2007 when the Mavericks won a team-record 67 regular-season games, averaged 21.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists over 80 games last season for Dallas.

The 12-time NBA All-Star has spent 16 seasons in the league, finally capturing the crown three years ago with an emotional NBA Finals triumph over Miami in which he was named the Most Valuable Player.

The Mavericks pushed eventual NBA champions San Antonio to the limit in the best-of-seven first round in this past season’s playoffs.

Nowitzki, 36, has averaged 22.5 points and 8.1 rebounds in 1 188 career games for the Mavericks and ranks 10th on the NBA’s all-time points list with 26 786.

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Source: Sapa – AFP

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Opting out does not mean that James has decided to leave the Heat, sources said.

James, a four-time NBA MVP, had until June 30 to decide whether to opt out of the final two years of his contract with the Heat. He was scheduled to make $20 million next season and had two years and about $42.7 million remaining on his deal.

After Miami’s season-ending loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, James told reporters he would take a vacation with his family before considering his contract options.

James did indicate that he welcomed the opportunity to become a free agent and have the same level of flexibility he was afforded in 2010, when he signed with Miami after spending his first seven years in Cleveland.

“Being able to have flexibility as a professional, anyone, that’s what we all would like,” James said last week. “That’s in any sport, for a football player, a baseball player, a basketball player, to have flexibility and be able to control your future or your present. I have a position to be able to do that. … There’s a lot of times that you’re not in control of your future as a professional.”

In his four seasons in Miami, the Heat have gone to the NBA Finals four times, winning two championships.

The other two Miami stars with early termination options — Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh — have not yet told the Heat or publicly revealed whether they will join James as free agents this summer. Bosh and James both said last week that the three would meet before deciding anything about their respective futures, and it’s been widely speculated that they might have to rework their deals to keep the “Big 3” together in Miami.

Each signed six-year deals when they famously teamed up in Miami in 2010, and all of those deals came with options to become free agents either this summer or in the summer of 2015. Together, they’ve won four Eastern Conference titles and two NBA championships, winning more games than any other team in the league over that span.

“There’s a conversation that will be had between the three of us,” James said last week. “I think it’s only right. I think we’ve earned that for each other, to have a conversation and see what could possibly happen.”

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Source: ESPN

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Trail Blazers greeted by rattlesnake in San Antonio locker room #RipCity READ || http://t.co/T1iLmIc6G6 pic.twitter.com/OhRpu9i87a

— Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) May 8, 2014

But instead of this being motivation, the Blazers lost anyway.

Portland coach Terry Stotts is now running out of adjectives and analogies to describe the San Antonio Spurs’ dominance in the second quarter.

Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points, Tony Parker had 16 points and 10 assists, and San Antonio rolled to a 114-97 victory over the Trail Blazers on Thursday night for a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

After being struck by a ”tidal wave” during the second quarter of the opener, Portland took on even more water in Game 2.
”The onslaught at the beginning of the second quarter was obviously the turning point in the game,” Stotts said.

Boris Diaw scored six straight points to ignite a 23-8 run that gave San Antonio a 54-36 lead with 7 minutes remaining in the first half.

The Spurs outscored the Trail Blazers 41-25 in the second quarter, raising their advantage to 77-48 in that period in winning the first two games of the best-of-seven series convincingly.
Nicolas Batum scored 21 points for the Trail Blazers. Damian Lillard had 19 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 16 points and 10 rebounds, but the Trail Blazers’ All-Star duo put up 43 shots.

Aldridge was 6 for 23, missing back-to-back dunks in the second quarter.

”We missed a lot of shots,” Aldridge said. ”I definitely wasn’t in a good rhythm tonight. I missed two dunks and four or five layups, so if those shots go in, then the whole game is different.”

The Trail Blazers host Game 3 on Saturday night.

Source: ESPN and AP

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