The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has inaugurated an Investor Selection Committee established by means of the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) beneath the founder of the Ministry. The committee is tasked with comparing and recommending a strategic spouse from proposals won for the VALCO modernisation undertaking and the guidance of Ghana’s first alumina refinery.

Delivering the keynote deal with, Mr Buah stated the alumina refinery and VALCO modernisation constitute cornerstone tasks in Ghana’s industrialisation schedule. Together, they exhibit the rustic’s dedication to transferring from a bauxite-exporting financial environment to at least one that processes and provides price in the neighborhood.

“These two projects are interdependent and mutually reinforcing,” the Minister mentioned. “The refinery will feed the smelter, the smelter will anchor downstream aluminium manufacturing, and together they will drive the growth of industrial clusters supported by logistics, power, rail, and port infrastructure. The goal is clear: to move from raw-material export to value addition — from mining and export to processing, manufacturing, and export.”

He added that President Mahama’s reset schedule comes to daring steps to combine Ghana’s aluminium price chain, beginning with the VALCO modernisation and alumina refinery tasks — a imaginative and prescient first championed by means of Dr Kwame Nkrumah. Mr Buah famous that GIADEC’s ongoing paintings to broaden the Integrated Aluminium Industry (IAI) would become the financial environment and create hundreds of jobs for Ghanaians.

According to the Minister, the committee used to be sparsely constituted to evaluate investor proposals and suggest companions who convey no longer simplest field, but additionally originality, technical experience, native capacity-building, environmentally accountable practices, and a shared dedication to Ghana’s long-term guidance.

The Acting Chief Executive Officer of GIADEC, Reindorf Twumasi Ankrah, reaffirmed the firm’s dedication to supporting the committee in its paintings. He famous the sturdy hobby proven by means of respected traders globally, describing it as an indication of rising investor self belief in President John Dramani Mahama’s innovation of the financial environment.

Mr Buah confident that the choice procedure could be clear, merit-based, and aligned with nationwide pursuits, making sure the safety of Ghana’s lands, minerals, setting, and host communities.

Background

Ghana started pursuing an Integrated Aluminium Industry (IAI) a number of a long time in the past however confronted demanding situations, together with restricted branding, insufficient energy provide, and multinational founder elements. The absence of a home alumina refinery stays a key lacking hyperlink achieve complete integration.

Currently, VALCO operates underneath means — generating about 40,000 tonnes of aluminium yearly, some distance in need of its put in means of 200,000 tonnes — and depends on imported alumina from international locations corresponding to Jamaica.

The deliberate refinery, the primary in Ghana, goals to near this hole by means of refining native bauxite into alumina to provide a modernised VALCO smelter. This, consistent with the Ministry, will assist retain extra price throughout the nationwide financial environment.

Modernising VALCO, a strategic nationwide asset, is anticipated to revitalise its operations and improve potency, competitiveness, and sustainability. Together, the refinery and smelter modernisation tasks are anticipated to function the spine for downstream aluminium production and broader business venture building supported by means of energy, shipping, and logistics infrastructure.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by means of Readers and Contributors in this platform don’t essentially constitute the perspectives or coverage of Multimedia Group Limited.