President Akufo-Addo has announced the nation’s commitment to refining its bauxite output to produce alumina. This move, he emphasized, is aimed at supplying the Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO) and bolstering the broader downstream aluminium industry.
Speaking to attendees at Ghana’s 67th Independence Day celebrations in Koforidua, President Akufo-Addo highlighted the imminent end of the era of exporting raw bauxite as Ghana embarks on this transformative journey. He expressed confidence that this initiative would serve as a cornerstone in propelling Ghanaian industrialization forward.
According to him, the decision to shift towards alumina refining represents a strategic move to add value to Ghana’s bauxite resources locally, rather than exporting them in raw form. This move not only promises to generate economic benefits but also aligns with broader objectives of enhancing domestic industrial capacity.
“We are finally coming to the end of decades of exporting raw bauxite from the country. We shall now refine bauxite, mined in Ghana, to produce alumina that will feed the VALCO smelter and the downstream aluminium industry, which is going to have a dramatic impact on Ghanaian industrialisation when we produce parts for motor vehicles, air crafts, roofing sheets and home utensils.
“It has taken a long time for us to get to this stage, but we have taken the trouble to make sure that we get it right,” he promised.
President Akufo-Addo further assured that once the litigation over the Atewa Forest Range in Kyebi is settled, the forest will be developed to help alleviate unemployment in the area.
“As an indigene, I hope that, once litigation over the Atewa Forest Range, in Kyebi, is settled, we will be able to develop also the Kyebi bauxite mine and refinery, that will help deliver employment and high-paying jobs for our people, and also ensure integration and value addition across the bauxite/aluminium value chain,” he assured.
