Trade Minister Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare has announced that the Komenda Sugar Factory has lost access to electricity and water services because of unpaid utility bills.

She delivered the update while addressing Parliament of Ghana on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, during a briefing on the condition of the Komenda Sugar Factory.

"The factory has been disconnected from the national grid by the Electricity Company of Ghana and water supply by Ghana Water Company Limited due to unpaid bills. Added to the poor state of the equipment, the facility has accumulated significant debt," She stated.

Operations at the Komenda Sugar Factory have stalled, with the facility failing to produce sugar and deteriorating six years after it was commissioned.

The lawmaker indicated that the plant is weighed down by heavy debt, which has worsened long-standing technical and operational problems and halted its activities.

She noted that the factory cannot function at full capacity because its machinery and equipment have serious defects and have not undergone refurbishment since the plant was completed in 2016.

“Technical and operational deficiencies have prevented the factory from running at full capacity. The machinery and equipment of the factory have not been refurbished since construction in 2016. Equipment generators and motors need maintenance, and the boiler top coil needs replacement to bring the factory back to life,” she told Parliament.

Mrs Ofosu-Adjare also stated that the facility had been cut off from the national power supply by the Electricity Company of Ghana and from water supply by the Ghana Water Company Limited as a result of outstanding bills.

Aside from utility and infrastructure difficulties, the Minister identified shortage of raw materials as another major factor delaying the factory’s revival.

She explained that the farming communities expected to supply sugarcane have withdrawn participation, mainly due to weak institutional backing and unclear procurement systems.

“The farming community which was expected to anchor the raw material supply remains disengaged due to lack of institutional support and unclear procurement channels,” she noted.

Outlining government’s intervention plans, Mrs Ofosu-Adjare disclosed that the Ministry of Trade and Industry has prioritised securing a transactional advisor to reorganise and present the factory to private investors.

“The ministry has prioritised the engagement of a transactional advisor to package the factory and secure a strategic investor to operationalise the factory and farms in the 2026 budget,” she said.

The Komenda Sugar Factory, which was launched as a major industrial initiative under Ghana’s industrialisation programme, was designed to reduce dependence on imported sugar and generate employment opportunities in the Central Region.

Nonetheless, continuous operational challenges have left the plant mostly inactive, leading to renewed demands for a lasting recovery plan centred on private sector participation and stronger links between farming and factory operations.

The Sugarcane Farmers Association of Ghana has urged the Minister of Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, to take swift and decisive steps to revive the long-dormant Komenda Sugar Factory.

In a statement issued on May 4 2025, the Association voiced deep disappointment with the Ministry’s recent response to their concerns, describing it as “unconvincing” and lacking a sense of urgency.

The farmers urged the current NDC administration, led by President John Mahama, to avoid repeating the mistakes of the previous NPP government, which they accuse of making repeated promises but failing to get the factory operational.

They stressed that reviving the factory is critical not only for their livelihoods but also for boosting local industry and reducing sugar imports.

“We campaigned and voted for John Mahama because we believed he could revive this factory to improve our livelihoods,” the Association stated.

The Association expressed concern that two months after the Minister’s visit to the Komenda Sugar Factory, no visible progress has been made, and the facility was not even mentioned in the 2025 national budget.

They are calling on the government to urgently constitute a board of directors for the factory, emphasizing the need for competent leadership and the inclusion of a representative from the farming community.

“We are ready to feed the factory with sugarcane. All we need is government commitment,” they said.

Speaking on Yɛn Nsempa, the morning show on Onua FM hosted by Nana Yaa Brefo Danso, Secretary of the Association, Nana Joshua Kingsley Mensah, reiterated the frustrations of the farmers. “We feel deceived. After the Minister’s visit in February, we expected action. But there’s nothing happening on the ground,” he said.

He added, “The livelihoods of hundreds of sugarcane farmers depend on the revival of this factory. We are ready to work, but the silence from the government side is worrying.”

Nana Joshua also stressed the need for farmers to be included in the decision-making process. “We are not just suppliers—we are stakeholders. Our representation on the factory board is non-negotiable.”