His optimism he said is fueled by the giant strides the government under his leadership is making to deliver high paying jobs, improve the living standards of Ghanaians across the country and making a difference in the economic fortunes of the country.

He made this disclosure at the 67th Independence Day celebration hosted at the Youth Centre, Koforidua in the Eastern Region, today, March 6, 2024.

“I know we have gone through difficult economic circumstances but it is clear that we have overcome the worst and looking forward to better,” he said. 

The President made reference to the signing of agreements between the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) and private companies to build aluminium refineries and develop mines under the Integrated Aluminium Industry (IAI).

“We are finally coming to the end decades of exporting raw bauxites from the country. We shall now refine bauxite mined in Ghana to produce aluminium that will feed the VALCO smelter and the downstream aluminium industry.

"This is going to have a dramatic impact of Ghanaian industrialisation when we produce parts for vehicles, aircrafts, roofing sheets and household utensils,” he said. 

Another major project which President Akufo-Addo said was bound to make a dramatic change to the economy is the completion of work on the Ada-Songor salt project, spearheaded by ElectroChem Ghana Limited.

This would also allow salt to be mined on a large scale after many years of dispute which prevented the exploitation of salt at the site. 

He indicated that with its initial ability to produce some 650,000 metric tonnes of salt per annum and expanding its productive capacity to 1 million this year and to 2 million by 2027, at 99.9 per cent purity, the ElectroChem salt mine will be the biggest salt producing facility in Africa.

“These are figures that should spread a significant change in the economy and cheer us up. I am optimistic that together with other initiatives of this government, we are on the verge of a breakthrough in our economic fortunes,” President Akufo-Addo added.