Thirteen companies have gone through documentation processes to establish factories under the "one district, one factory” initiative of the government in the Central Region in 2018.

The factories are expected to engage in commercial processing and production of salt, bricks and tiles, plywood tiles, starch, oil palm, bamboo, tomatoes and cassava processing into industrial ethanol.

Mr Kwamena Duncan, the Regional Minister who disclosed this at the Central Regional Coordinating Council Meeting in Cape Coast, said the factories would be established in 10 out of the 20 districts in the region.

The beneficiary Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) include; Cape Coast, Twifo Atimokwa, Twifo-Heman Lower Denkyira, Effutu, Mfatseman, Assin North and South, Agona East, Gomoa West, and Abura-Aseibu-Kwamankese.

The Regional Minister said the government’s flagship programme of industrialisation was aimed at creating congenial business environment to attract investors and create jobs.

He said the one district one factory policy was aimed at bringing industrialisation to the doorsteps of people by identifying the economic potentials of each district and using the power of industry to add value to those resources.

Mr Duncan expressed the readiness of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) to collaborate with interest groups and individuals to develop the region through industrialisation to create jobs for the teeming unemployed youth.

“Our region is blessed with a lot of riches in the form of mineral resources but the challenge is how to turn these riches into wealth for the benefit of the people,” he said.

He therefore rallied the support of all stakeholders and called on investors to take advantage of the government’s 1D1F to invest in region.

Commissioner of Police (COP) David Nenyi Ampah-Bennin, the Central Regional Police Commander, said the region was relatively peaceful and assured investors of maximum security and encouraged them to invest in the region.

He said the Police Command in the region had mapped out strategies to flash out armed robbers, drug peddlers and other groups who perpetuated all forms of crimes from their hideouts.

ACOP Ampah-Bennin noted that industries only thrived in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity and re-assured that the Police would be professional in maintaining peace at all times.