AFIENYA, Ghana, 15th October: President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Ghana Free Zones Authority to incorporate clear service standards into concession agreements for the Afienya Industrial Park and make those standards publicly available to investors.
The President said businesses investing in the industrial enclave must have a clear understanding of the services they are entitled to receive, the institutions responsible for providing them and how performance will be assessed.
He gave the directive during the sod-cutting ceremony for the Afienya Industrial Park, stressing that the availability of land alone would not guarantee the success of the project.
“Investors should know which services they can expect, who is responsible for delivering them, and how performance will be assessed,” he said.
President Mahama identified reliable electricity, water, roads, drainage, waste treatment and telecommunications as essential requirements for an industrial park seeking to attract manufacturing and export-oriented businesses.
He said the government, through the New Economy Programme, intended to support the Ghana Free Zones Authority in providing the infrastructure required to make the Afienya enclave operational.
The park is expected to offer serviced industrial plots and ready-to-use factory shells, while also allowing opportunities for co-investment in infrastructure such as embedded power generation and distribution, telecommunications and warehousing.
President Mahama explained that the availability of shared facilities would enable smaller businesses to rent essential infrastructure rather than bear the cost of constructing everything themselves.
He said this approach would reduce the time and cost between an investor’s decision to establish a business and the commencement of production.
The industrial park covers approximately 1,238 acres and is planned to accommodate more than 120 enterprises across manufacturing, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, logistics and other sectors.
Its proximity to the Port of Tema and access to the Eastern Corridor Road and Tema-Mpakadan railway line are expected to support the movement of raw materials and finished products.
President Mahama also called for stronger links between companies operating in the park and local suppliers, farmers, transport operators and small businesses.
He said the benefits of industrial development should extend beyond the park itself to surrounding communities through employment and participation in industrial supply chains.
The President maintained that the ultimate test of the project would be the number of businesses that begin operating, the jobs created for Ghanaians and the products reaching markets across Africa and beyond.
His directive signals an emphasis on service delivery and accountability as the government seeks to position Afienya as an attractive destination for industrial investment.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/ Presidential Affairs Correspondent | Ghana 🇬🇭
