Tamale, May 30, GNA-Mr Abudulai Batiah Santi, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in charge of Strategy and Investor Relations at the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC), has held an engagement with members of the Northern Regional Scrap Dealers Association in Tamale.Â
The engagement which formed part of a nationwide exercise, is intended to streamline their activities and assess opportunities and challenges confronting scrap dealers and how GIISDEC could provide guidelines to support enhance a more productive and inclusive operations by the association.
Mr Santi who addressed members of the association, underscored the critical role scrap dealers played in the development of the country, saying “GIISDEC recognizes the critical role scrap dealers play in the country’s development. Through their hard work and resilience, we benefit from infrastructure growth, as these scraps are used by melters to produce iron rods, which are essential in the construction and manufacturing industries.
He highlighted significant contributions from scrap dealers to the country’s economy, even though it came with some challenges and said they had limited access to credit facilities, unfair pricing, and social stigma.
He said the meeting was tailored to foster stronger collaboration to enhance their operations and livelihoods and revealed that GIISDEC planned to organize a national forum for leadership of the scrap dealers across the country.
The objective of the meeting, he indicated, was to gather their views and input towards developing a legislative framework to sanitize and regularize the sector.
He thanked the scrap dealers for their continuous support to the industry and assured them of GIISDEC’s commitment to implementing policies and programmes that would revitalize and strengthen the sector.
Mr Abdulai Issahaku, Vice Chairman of the Northern Region Scrap Dealers Association, commended GIISDEC for the engagement, describing it as a clear demonstration of the corporation’s commitment to building a vibrant and inclusive industry.
He expressed the association’s readiness to collaborate with GIISDEC to support the implementation of policies and interventions that would grow and sustain their businesses.
GIISDEC was established in May 2019 through the Act of Parliament (Act 988) to promote and develop an integrated iron and steel industry through the formation and implementation of policies and regulations, as well as the promotion of public private partnerships.
GNA.
Edited by Eric K. Amoh/George-Ramsey Benamba