Mr. George Mireku Duker, Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Mines on behalf of the Sector Minister on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, received a delegation from Turkish investment firm, Yıldırım Holdings.
The Nine-Member delegation led by the President and CEO, Robert Yuksel Yildirim paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Minister to brief him about their business interest in Ghana and key aspects of the Ghanaian economy where they could explore investment opportunities.
The Deputy Minister disclosed that the arrival of the company is timely as they have come at a time when Ghana is charting a new path in the harnessing and exploitation of its natural resources.
According to Mr. Mireku Duker, the government has set out to move Ghana from exporting raw materials to adding value to its resources and that it is an area that Yildirim Holdings could explore and establish itself as a leader in value addition to minerals in Ghana’s mining Industry.
He noted that the government has established and resourced the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) to create the enabling environment for the aluminium industry to thrive through the refining and smelting of bauxite into Alumnina.
Backing the Sector Minister’s declaration that Ghana’s recently discovered lithium resource will not be exported in its raw state, Hon. Mireku Duker averred that to achieve this Government has created numerous opportunities for investors and companies that Yildirim holdings can take advantage of to grow an industry that has been tipped by experts to become a key cog in Ghana’s economy.
“I see you are a utility and experienced company with over six decades of experience in various fields. There is a large manganese resource in my constituency and it’s something we can look at. The vision of the President is to add value to the resources. We don’t want to export our raw manganese and resources, so we’ve established GIADEC just to add value to the manganese”, he stated.
“We are also developing the iron ore industry by establishing the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC) to integrate the value chain and ensure we add value”, he added.
President and CEO of Yildirim Group, Robert Yuksel Yildirim, laid much emphasis on the experience and credibility of his company, assuring Hon. Duker the company is interested in investing in various sectors of Ghana’s economy.
He stated that Ghana’s democracy which has stood the test of time as well as the strong policies and laws creates a conducive environment for business and that his outfit could pump investment into areas such as mining, shipping, and fertilizer production among others.
In his concluding statement, Mr. Duker stressed the commitment of the Ministry and its readiness to provide the needed support for the company to find its feet in Ghana and contribute to the job-creation agenda of the government.
