Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama, Board Chairman of the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC), has indicated that GIISDEC’s masterplan will provide a strategic direction to develop a vibrant Integrated Iron and Steel industry in Ghana.
According to the GIISDEC Board Chairman, a real industrialization dream to build an integrated Iron and Steel industry has been on the horizon for far too long and that lessons learnt from the past has informed his outfit to do things differently by drawing a masterplan to make the dream a reality.
“We are poised to define our focus and chart a roadmap to achieving the President’s vision of an Integrated Iron and Steel Industry.”
Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama
Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama was speaking at the opening of a two-day Stakeholders’ Workshops held in Accra to develop a Masterplan for Ghana’s Iron and Steel Industry.
Areas of the Masterplan
The Masterplan which has four major areas includes: Mining, Refinery, Smelting, and the Downstream which are critical to the achievement of a vibrant industry.
“This Masterplan will enhance and enrich our collaboration with our stakeholders to develop critical infrastructures like Port and Railway Infrastructure, to enable transportation of Iron, Steel and other bulk materials, adequate Power, and best environmental practices.”
Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama
The minister revealed that the Board and Management of GIISDEC are spearheading the stakeholders’ consultation workshops to build a Masterplan that would be acceptable to all stakeholders for the operationalization of the Corporation, adding that, the final Masterplan would be unveiled to Ghanaians by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources when completed.
Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Yendi noted that there is the need for the new GIISDEC Board to build on the foundation and positive gains of his predecessors to achieve their targeted goals.
The MP stated that the dream of GIISDEC to build an integrated Iron and Steel industry is a national agenda and “an investment for our collective future that requires the input and collaboration from all to make a history”.
The Yendi Legislator observed that GIISDEC has become a key component of government’s industrialization and transformation agenda and as a result, GIISDEC is building partnership with the private sector to attract significant investment into the industry to enhance the economy. He noted that the global trends indicated growing demand for iron and its related artifacts; and that enforced their resolve to make Ghana the iron and steel hub in Africa.
Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama, however, disclosed that some of the major challenges ahead of them are: environmental concerns, transportation bottlenecks, high energy intensive process of steel production and the need to develop clean alternatives in terms of energy solutions. “We shall work together to address these challenges as prescribed by the Masterplan”.
The hardworking GIISDEC Board Chairman announced that his team is five months ahead of the timelines set out for the development of the Masterplan which he said is as a result of his determination to work together with his Board Members, Management, Staff and Stakeholders to get the Masterplan for Ghana’s Iron and Steel industry before the end of 2022.
According to the Board Chairman, the Masterplan is necessary for the industry to provide technical guidance and practical direction on every step on how to develop the entire iron and steel value chain to boost the Ghanaian economy.
“If anyone ever doubted the realization of the vision of the President to build a thriving integrated iron and steel industry, let him look no further than this key project and others GIISDEC is undertaking”.
Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama
The Board Chairman added that the Masterplan would define the full scope of Ghana’s Integrated Iron and Steel Industry, and also ensure the full utilization of the iron reserves the country is endowed with.
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