Youth unemployment worsened after 1D1F was discontinued — Afenyo-Markin
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has argued that Ghana’s growing youth unemployment situation could have been better managed if the government had maintained or expanded the One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative.
According to him, the discontinuation of the industrialisation programme introduced under the administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has created a significant gap in efforts to promote private sector growth, entrepreneurship, and job creation.
Speaking during an interview on TV3 on Tuesday, May 12, Mr Afenyo-Markin expressed disappointment over what he described as the government’s failure to prioritise key economic policies despite inheriting an economy that was beginning to recover.
“I think that the government did not take advantage of the goodwill that greeted it upon assumption of office. There was a huge goodwill, and supporting pillars of the economy had been well put in place,” he said.
He maintained that the 1D1F policy was among the most impactful initiatives introduced by the previous administration, as it encouraged private sector investment in industrial development through tax incentives and other forms of support.
“The 1D1F was one key policy decision that they should have sustained because in Ghana today, our main problem is unemployment,” he stated.
Mr Afenyo-Markin further accused the government of failing to introduce a clear replacement policy after ending the programme.
He disclosed that during a recent meeting between the Minority Caucus and the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), industry leaders raised concerns about several stalled projects that had begun under the 1D1F initiative.
According to him, the President of AGI highlighted a watermelon processing factory in Walewale that is said to be about 90 percent complete but has stalled due to the absence of government support.
The Minority Leader said his caucus has since filed a parliamentary question directed at the Minister for Trade, seeking clarification on the government’s plans for the private sector and what alternative measures have been introduced following the termination of the programme.
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