A Citrus factory is set to be established in Obuasi by December this year under the ENABLE YOUTH PROGRAMME.
So far 60 successful applicants have been selected in the Obuasi Municipality and are currently undergoing orientation to own and manage the factory which is expected to process orange juice for exports and local consumption.
Addressing the highly enthusiastic young graduates, the Municipal Chief Executive for Obuasi, Honorable Elijah Adansi-Bonah said the Government, true to its ideology as a Capitalist government is committed to create the enabling environment for private businesses with Capital to flourish. It is against this backdrop, he said is the reason why the Government through the Rural Enterprise Program has rolled out the ENABLE YOUTH PROGRAMME to empower the youth.
Honorable Adansi-Bonah again said the Government is providing land, Capital and the factory for them to start the business. He however called on them to be committed towards the project.
On his part, the Municipal Coordinating Director, Mr. Francis Dwira Darko said gone are the days when graduates preferred to work in the public sector. He said ” it is important to be an entrepreneur where you can be self employed and employ others too”.
The Municipal Head of the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI), Mr. Kelvin Ofori Atta also touched on the essence of the project. He said the project is targeted at reducing the rate of graduate unemployment in the country. He revealed that the project will be sited at New Biakoyeden in the Kunka Electoral area of the Municipality.
The Rural Enterprises Programme (REP), under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, is implementing the “Empowering Novel Agri-Business-Led Employment (1D1F ENABLE Youth)” Initiative. The 1D1F ENABLE Youth Initiative seeks to encourage young graduates to establish agro-processing factories, along key value chains in selected districts across the country, in line with the 1D1F policy.
Successful Applicants will be supported to form companies and provided with processing centres with interest-free loans. They will also be provided with challenge grant funds. The beneficiaries will be engaged at various entry points along the value chain (plantation development, aggregation, processing, marketing etc.)
In all, Fifty-eight (58) factories/companies are set to be established in the targeted districts of the country with Fifty-eight (58) youth-led businesses incorporated under the Companies Act