President John Dramani Mahama has announced that factories operating under the government’s 24-hour economy initiative will soon benefit from duty- and tax-free incentives on imported capital equipment.

According to the president, the policy is designed to accelerate industrial expansion, support retooling, and boost productivity across the country.

Speaking at a ceremony in Shama in the Western Region — where he performed the sod-cutting for a new float glass manufacturing facility, commissioned a sanitary ware factory, and inaugurated Phase Five of a ceramic tile production line — President Mahama said the initiative will remove key barriers to industrial growth.

“Factories registered under the 24-hour economy programme will be allowed to import machinery and equipment without paying duties and taxes,” he stated. “This will make it easier for them to scale up operations and compete globally.”

The president described the Shama projects as a significant boost to Ghana’s manufacturing sector, stressing that they represent a shift toward large-scale production and export-led growth.

“These projects will create more than 2,000 direct jobs,” he said, “in addition to thousands of indirect employment opportunities in logistics, raw material supply, maintenance, and other related services.”

He further revealed that the investments will include structured skills transfer programmes aimed at empowering Ghanaians to take on greater leadership responsibilities within the industry.

“We are ensuring that Ghanaian engineers, technicians, and managers progressively assume leadership roles. This is how we build local capacity and move from participation to ownership,” he noted.

President Mahama reiterated that industrialisation remains at the heart of his government’s economic transformation agenda.

“Production and exports are the foundation of a strong and resilient economy,” he emphasised. “That is the direction we are taking as a nation.”