The Member of Parliament (MP) for Tarkwa Nsuaem, Issah Salifu Taylor, has intensified efforts to facilitate the establishment of a modern manganese refinery at Nsuta in the Western Region, a major industrial project expected to create thousands of jobs and significantly boost the country’s economy.
The proposed refinery, to be developed by Ghana Manganese Company (GMC) Limited, forms part of a broader national agenda to promote local processing of raw materials and increase value addition within Ghana’s mining sector.
The initiative is also in line with President John Dramani Mahama’s vision of transforming the country from a predominantly raw mineral exporter into an industrialised economy driven by local manufacturing and processing.
Meeting investors
As part of efforts to advance the project, Mr Taylor recently travelled to China with the Deputy Managing Director of Ghana Manganese Company, Yuanwei Sun, to engage the company’s principal investor and owner on plans for the refinery.
The discussions focused on the investor’s commitment, preparedness and roadmap towards establishing the refinery at the company’s operational site in Nsuta.
During the meeting, the investor reportedly expressed strong enthusiasm for the project and appealed to the MP to support efforts to secure the necessary permits, approvals and licences required under Ghanaian law.
The investor also reaffirmed the company’s readiness to commit the resources needed to ensure the successful execution of the project.
Independent assessment
Following his return to Ghana, Mr Taylor constituted a team of technical experts to undertake an independent assessment of the project’s readiness and engage the management of Ghana Manganese Company on the practical steps required for implementation.
The team included Professor Shadrach Fosu, a mining engineering expert at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT); Dr Erick Gyimah, an environmental engineering expert at UMaT; mining expert, Sanni Abdul-Aziz, and Salifu Imran from the Office of the MP.
The delegation later visited the company, where they were received by senior management led by Mr Sun.
During the engagement, management provided a comprehensive briefing on work already completed, key milestones achieved and the support required from government institutions to facilitate the commencement of the project.
The team also undertook a field inspection of the proposed refinery site under the guidance of the company’s Business Improvement Manager and Project Lead, Dr Emmanuel Coffie.
The inspection offered first-hand insight into preparations already undertaken and reinforced confidence in the feasibility of the project.
Economic potential
Addressing management after the visit, Mr Taylor said the refinery had the potential to transform the economic fortunes of the municipality by creating sustainable employment opportunities for thousands of young people while increasing government revenue through mineral value addition.
He pledged his unwavering support for the refinery initiative, describing it as a project of immense strategic importance to both Tarkwa Nsuaem and the country as a whole.
“I pledged to work closely with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, relevant regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders to facilitate the processing of all necessary documentation, permits, and licences required for the commencement of the project,” he added.
Mr Taylor disclosed that he was awaiting a comprehensive technical report from the expert team to guide future engagements with regulators and policymakers.
