Bolgatanga: The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) of the Trade Union Congress has issued an urgent appeal to the government to take decisive action to revive the Pwalugu Tomato Factory located in the Upper East Region. The Union emphasized the factory's potential to significantly reduce the country's dependence on imported processed tomatoes and to create agricultural and agribusiness jobs for local youth.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Morgan Ayawine, the General Secretary of the ICU, highlighted the importance of revitalizing the factory during the Upper East Regional Conference held in Bolgatanga. He urged the government to restore the factory to its intended purpose, thereby boosting the local economy. The Pwalugu Tomato Factory, established by Ghana's first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, was originally designed to process tomatoes into puree and paste for both local consumption and export.
In its operational days, the factory played a crucial role by processing tomatoes from Northern Ghana and certain regions in Burkina Faso. It helped curb the import of processed tomato paste and provided employment opportunities for numerous young people. Additionally, the factory enhanced agricultural production, particularly vegetable farming during the dry season, which, in turn, raised farmers' income levels and contributed to food and nutritional security, especially for households in Northern Ghana.
Despite these benefits, the Pwalugu Tomato Factory has remained non-operational for several years, with successive governments failing to fulfill promises to revive it. Mr. Ayawine pointed out that the rising unemployment rate in Ghana is a major factor driving youth migration. He stressed the urgent need to create viable employment opportunities and sustainable industries to curb this trend.
He stated, "For the government to realize its economic potential and fulfill the purpose for which it was established, we wish to use this forum to appeal to the government to seriously consider reactivating the Pwalugu Tomato Factory. This would create employment for the unemployed youth and save the nation significant foreign exchange currently spent on tomato imports."
Mr. Ayawine also called on the government to prioritize the construction of the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam. This initiative would provide irrigation services to enable year-round farming activities, further supporting the factory's operations. The dam project includes various components such as irrigation, hydro and solar hybrid power production, flood control, and aquaculture.
Additionally, the General Secretary urged the government to alleviate the financial burden on rural and community banks by reducing the 25 percent corporate tax imposed on them. He noted that this tax is placing a significant strain on their operations.
