BrazilSRK Consulting Ghana Managing Director elaborates on future plans
The Country Manager for Ghana at mining consultancy SRK Consulting, John Kwofie has revealed the firm’s plans to expand its focus to incorporate more countries across the continent, including key markets such as Cote d’Ivoire and Togo, in addition to substantial plans for investment in Ghana itself.
Mining is a crucial part of economies across the African continent, although the sector is increasingly coming under threat from falling commodity prices across the globe as well as from a drive by many African countries to diversify their economies to rely less on the volatile sector.
In such a scenario, mining consultancies such as SRK Consulting have found themselves in the spotlight, as mining companies look for support in this challenging environment. John Kwofie has revealed how a combination of targeted investment and geographical expansion constituted the firm’s strategy to cope with this expanding demand.
Within Ghana, SRK is encouraged by a host of policies being introduced by the government to facilitate the sector. One such policy is the ‘One District, One Factory’ initiated two years ago, the objective of which is to open 216 factories for each district in Ghana over the next few years. SRK’s close engagement with the industrial sector makes this a promising prospect for them.
Commenting on a host of government initiatives, Kwofie said, “The plan is to create an environment in which businesses can flourish, by reducing corporation tax and attracting new investors. Household and corporate electricity tariffs have been decreasing, and the key economic indices are improving – so there is reason to be optimistic.”
In addition, SRK’s Ghana operation is now looking to achieve greater integration with markets across Africa and across the world. Not only is the firm looking for clients in neighbouring countries, but it is also involving experts from its international locales to support complex projects in the country.
As explained by Kwofie, “Our recent work in Cote d’Ivoire was an open pit slope stability study for a gold mining client, where our office conducted a pre-feasibility study initially. We were then requested to take the study to the next level with a detailed pit feasibility study – which we conducted in collaboration with our colleagues in SRK’s United Kingdom office in Cardiff.”
