The Third World Network (TWN), an advocacy non-governmental organisation has urged Parliament to hold on to the passage of the Aluminum Authority Bill until uncertainties surrounding it are clarified.
According to TWN, the preparation of the bill lacked wide consultations, adding that the government had until now not adduced any reasons for its failure to sell its majority stake in the Volta Aluminum Company (VALCO), a deal that grated aluminum industry.
The co-ordinator of TWN, Dr Yao Graham, said this at a press conference in Accra that although the sale of VALCO was the major driver of the integrated aluminum industry, it was not clear where the government stood in the transaction, since the consortium of international aluminum companies which were purported to have bought the smelter had denied any involvement
'Who are International Aluminum Partners?' he quizzed, saying his information indicated that the address of Martin Lopez, who signed the agreement for International Aluminum Partners, 'is a trust in the British Virgin Island, a tax haven, which belongs to a group engaged in improper activities.'
Last month, the government attempted to sell its 70 per cent stake in VALCO, which it currently wholly owns, to a consortium made up of Norsk Hydro and Vale, but both companies denied any involvement in the deal.
Source: Daily Graphic - Daily Graphic