Presently, about 150,975 direct and indirect jobs have been created in about 125 factories, with 144 under construction and 29 awaiting financing support.

Mr Kyerematen disclosed this in a speech read on his behalf by Mr John Hawkins Asiedu, the Technical Adviser in-charge of Industrial Parks and Special Economic Zones at MoTI.

He gave said this in his address at the opening of the Central Regional Trade, Tourism and Investment Fair 2022 at the Adisadel Park in Cape Coast.

The weeklong Fair dubbed "Central Expo 2022", has more than 200 exhibitors from the 22 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the Region.

Hinged on wooing investment to the most peaceful region in Ghana, the Expo on the theme: "Promoting Trade, Tourism and Investments in the Central Region: Challenges, Prospects and Solutions,” seeks to showcase the investments potential of the Region.

The occasion was graced by Ministers of state, Members of Parliament, Council of State, the Diplomatic Corps, the business community, traditional leaders and religious leaders, among others.

Mr Kyerematen commended the Central Regional Coordinating Council and partners for the bold initiative towards bringing business, investors and customers together for mutual gains.

He indicated that the fair would provide an excellent opportunity for businesses to engage clients for determined market potential, conduct research and evaluate competition.

Also, to develop commercial structures by identifying new agents and distributors, and initiating joint ventures and project partnerships through partnerships, networking, and job creation.

Mr Kyerematen said the 1D1F industrial drive was in response to the private sector call to decentralize industrial development and spread job creation across the country.

In essence, he said, the 1D1F programme was a government-assisted private sector-led initiative that seeks to provide generous incentives to businesses to set up productive ventures, mainly factories.

Again, it is expected that the factories will increase the country’s export earnings, while cutting down on imports due because the factories would produce much of the needs of the country locally.

According to the Minister of Trade, the policy has been reinforced by the establishment of various Industrial Parks or Special Economic Zones in every Region in partnership with the private sector to drive industrialization.

In addition to that, he said the Ministry has reformed the National Board for Small-scale Industries (NBSSI) Into the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) as the umbrella body for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to support them.

Besides, Mr Kyerematen said the country's industrialization agenda has further received a major boost with the establishment of 37 business resource centres (BRCs) across the country.

They were set up by the MoTI under the Rural Enterprises Programme (REP), to support the growth and competitiveness of MSMEs and 1D1F companies.

The Business Resource Centres (BRC) under the REPs will provide business development services such as the identification of business opportunities, business plan preparation, facilitation of access to finance/credit and business health check, otherwise known as business diagnostics.

Other services include the provision of training in management and entrepreneurship, business counselling and advisory services, productivity improvement programmes and capacity building for institutions.

The BRCs, to be run as profit-making entities, are to be managed by private sector operators under a franchising arrangement with the GEA the ultimate owners of the BRCs.

This is to ensure the sustainability of operations and maintenance of facilities of the centres and the aggressive and guided promotion of business activities in the country.