The Minister for lands and natural resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor has charged the newly inaugurated board of the Ghana Integrated Iron Ore and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC) to work to ensure the development of an efficient framework to manage the country’s special minerals.

Although the country can boast of reserves of aluminium, iron ore and steel, over the years, the sector remains a raw material managed one because of the non-existence of an integrated framework.

Minister for lands and natural resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, therefore, urged them to execute their mandate judiciously.

“This is an extremely important corporation, and I believe that it is not lost on all of us. It is important predominantly because if we’re going to achieve the goals of the government and the country, one of the most fundamental pillars on which you can anchor that effort and that ambition is the efficient, responsible exploitation of the iron resources of our country. It is common knowledge that all developed countries in the world did so on the back of iron and steel. You cannot have an industrialized nation if you don’t have an iron and steel which is fit for purpose,” he said.

In 2020 alone, Ghana’s importation bill of iron & steel and its articles stood at 2.9 billion Ghana cedis. Industrialization in most developed countries has thrived on the back of the iron and steel industry.

There was, therefore, the need for the country to summon all energies towards mining, processing and producing steel to spur on Ghana’s industrialization drive.

Responding to the charge from the Minister, the Chairman of the Board, Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama pledged to achieve the stated objectives including the launch of a strategic plan for the corporation in the first twelve months as head of the board.

“The large variety of background, experience and expertise presented to this board, which I personally know, in terms of the legal minds they bring, so that we’ll have easy access to ensure we legalize the operational aspect of the concessional in Ghana’s irons and also to make sure that we grant an efficiency to discharge the responsibility assigned to us by the Act 988. We will operate will maximize efficiency for the success of GIISDEC,” he assured.

The board of the Ghana Integrated Iron Ore and Steel Development Corporation is chaired by the Member of Parliament for Yendi, Farouk Aliu Mahama. Other members of the Board are Kwabena Bonsu Fordwor (CEO), Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker, Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Michael Okyere Baafi. Other government appointees on the board are Martin Kwaku Ayisi, K.K Amoah and Hanifa Yahaya.