….as government implements strategic plan
Professor Kwaku Appiah-Adu, Head of Delivery Unit at the Office of the Vice President has disclosed that the Volta Aluminum Company (VALCO) is expected to hit 200,000 metric tonnes per annum by 2020 as government implements plans to upscale its production.
‘’It is hoped that as the government implements the VALCO strategic plan, we will be able to upscale production up to 100 percent which is 200,000 metric tonnes per annum and VALCO has the capacity to move on further to 700,000 metric per annum as well,’’ he explained.
Prof. Appiah-Adu in an interview with Goldstreet Business in Accra, said VALCO currently has two port lines and has moved from a capacity production of 20 percent to 36 percent.
He added, VALCO will see a rejuvenation up until the end of this year with plans to have its two port lines operating at full levels by 2020.
This follows Vice President, Dr Bawumia’s announcement of incentives being offered to revive a number of local industries such as VALCO and garment producing factory, Akosombo Textiles Limited (ATL).
Prof. Appiah-Adu said government is in talks to bring in partners to analyse and augment the various retrofitting processes and ensure that they are off-takers for VALCO’s products.
‘’There are quite a number of off-takers already, especially those in the cable and roofing industries that exist in the downstream sector but in addition to that, export markets will have be looked at,’’ he added.
Prof. Appiah-Adu however said VALCO will operate at tremendous levels once government also has good arrangements with local and foreign partners who will be ready and willing to buy its products.
By Mawuli Y. Ahorlumegah