The Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC) has announced plans to formally regulate the country’s scrap metal industry in a bid to strengthen the local steel value chain, create jobs, and curb exploitation within the sector.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement with scrap metal dealers in Kumasi, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of GIISDEC, Mr. Philip Oppong Amponsah, emphasized the economic potential of the scrap industry, which he described as a “multi-million-dollar opportunity” that has long been neglected.
“For years, we have failed to give proper attention to the scrap metal industry. Yet, it is a vital source of raw materials for our steel industry,” Mr. Amponsah told Kumasi Mail in an exclusive interview.
“Scrap metal is not waste; it is wealth. If well regulated, this sector can create thousands of jobs and reduce Ghana’s dependence on imported steel.”
He noted that despite the growing number of people engaged in scrap collection and trading, the industry remains largely informal, unregulated, and prone to exploitation.
“Most scrap dealers are cheated because they don’t know the market value of their materials. Middlemen take advantage of them,” he added.
According to Mr. Amponsah, GIISDEC’s immediate goal is to empower and unite scrap dealers through capacity-building programs, fair pricing mechanisms, and integration into the national steel production chain.
“We want to ensure that scrap dealers are treated as industrial stakeholders, not as scavengers. They must be trained, regulated, and supported,” he said.
He also criticized the dominance of expatriates in the sector, warning that without local empowerment, foreign actors could edge out Ghanaian businesses. “Being a scrap dealer should not mean roaming the streets; it should mean being a viable industrial player,” he stressed.
Mr. Amponsah added that GIISDEC will not regulate the sector from behind desks. “We are meeting the scrap dealers where they work. We are listening to their challenges and identifying ways to support them,” he said.
“Our objective is to develop the steel industry by strengthening every link in the value chain from scrap collection to final production.”
The engagement in Kumasi forms part of a nationwide initiative by GIISDEC to integrate scrap metal dealers into Ghana’s industrial development agenda.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Isaac Justice Bediako
