President Akufo-Addo has reaffirmed Ghana's commitment to refining mined bauxite for the production of alumina.

He stressed that the refined products will be supplied to the Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO) and the broader downstream aluminium industry.

During an event commemorating Ghana's 67th Independence Day in Koforidua, Eastern Region, on Wednesday, March 6, the President highlighted the approaching end of the era of exporting raw bauxite as the transformative process unfolds.

President Akufo-Addo expressed optimism that this initiative will play a crucial role in advancing Ghanaian industrialisation.

“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 said.

President Akufo-Addo also reiterated his commitment to developing the Atewa Forest Range in Kyebi to address unemployment in the area, once the litigation surrounding the forest is resolved.

“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.