US embassy cable - 04ACCRA2205

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 002205 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS COMMERCE FOR RASHIDA PETERSEN 
TREASURY FOR ALEX SEVERENS 
OPIC FOR CONAL DUFFY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2009 
TAGS: ECON, EINV, EMIN, ENRG, GH, EXIM, OPIC 
SUBJECT: KAISER COMPLETES SALE OF VALCO TO THE GOVERNMENT 
OF GHANA 
 
REF: A. A. ACCRA 00651 
 
     B. B. ACCRA 02044 
 
Classified By: EconChief Chris Landberg for reasons 1.5 B and D 
 
Summary 
------- 
1. (U) Kaiser Aluminum has sold its 90-percent stake in the 
Volta River Aluminum Company (Valco) to the Government of 
Ghana (GoG)for USD 18.5 million.  After Parliament ratified 
the sale agreement on October 28 (septel), GoG and Kaiser 
officials met in London on October 29 to complete the 
official close of the sale.  Both sides also agreed to 
terminate the arbitration case (ref A), which had been 
suspended since the May 2004 signing of the agreement. 
Despite opposition party leaders' earlier threats to debate 
the legality of the sale (ref B), the agreement passed with 
little debate or difficulty.  The GoG is already negotiating 
a deal with several aluminum companies (including ALCOA) to 
take over VALCO and mine Ghana's bauxite.  End Summary. 
 
Parliament Passes VAlCO Purchase Deal 
------------------------------------- 
2. (C) Ministry of Finance contacts told Econoffs that 
Parliament's Finance and Energy Committees held two closed, 
day-long joint sessions with the Attorney General to get the 
agreement to the floor in time for a vote.  There was little 
of the promised debate from the opposition (ref C), and the 
agreement passed with a vote of 120 to 1 on Thursday, October 
28.  Kaiser officials raced to close the deal before the end 
of the week, insisting on a meeting in London on Friday.  By 
November 2, the entire USD 13.5 million held in escrow had 
been disbursed.  Just over half the money (USD 9.9 million) 
paid severance packages for VALCO's 287 workers. 
 
3. (SBU) There are, however, a few outstanding issues.  The 
Ghanaian Internal Revenue Service claims Kaiser owes back 
taxes on dividend remittances.  According to Kaiser, the sale 
agreement contains a tax indemnity clause, which would 
require the GoG to add the cost of any tax to the purchase 
price.  Kaiser feels this lays the issue to rest and sent a 
letter to the GoG declaring the sale to be complete, 
notwithstanding this last issue. 
 
GoG Negotiations with International Aluminum Companies 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
4. (C) The GoG is anxious to attract an investor to mine and 
process Ghana's bauxite reserves, using their stake in Valco 
as equity in a partnership (ref C).  According to Valco's 
Resident Director, Dr. Charles Mensa, Rusal Aluminum, BHP 
Billiton, and Alcoa have all submitted bids for projects that 
would include bauxite mining, and an alumina refinery, in 
addition to operating Valco.  Alcoa representatives have 
described their involvement to Econoffs as "very active," 
adding that the total investment could exceed USD 1 billion. 
 
5. (C) Mensa told Econoff that he and a "team of experts" 
were currently evaluating the bids for the GoG.  He considers 
Alcoa's and Billington's to be the strongest.  Mensa hopes to 
get a small portion of Valco up and running by the end of the 
year and to have a deal in place with either Alcoa or 
Billington by the end of January.  Econoff's contact at Alcoa 
says Mensa's timeline is unrealistic.  Alcoa submitted a 
draft MOU in August, outlining its proposals for VALCO and 
bauxite mining and refining, but has yet to receive any 
comments from Mensa and his team other than that the MOU was 
"too specific" about power rates. 
 
Note: Libya's Interest in Valco 
------------------------------- 
 
6. (C) Media reports confirm that the GoG signed a Protocol 
on Agricultural Trade with the Government of Libya last week. 
 A statement issued by the MFA in Ghana says the countries 
also agreed to share information on the aluminum industry "to 
study possible cooperation".  Mensa was familiar with the 
agreement and claimed the Libyans wanted Valco to become the 
cornerstone of an "African Aluminum Industry".  He says 
President Kufuor does not consider Libyan overtures to be 
realistic, adding that Libya has offered no money and even 
less in the way of vialbe plans for Valco's future.  End 
Note. 
 
Comment- Power is Key 
--------------------- 
7. (C) Power is the heart of any discussion of Valco. 
Aluminum cannot be smelted profitably without heavy power 
subsidies.  Valco draws one-third of the total power Ghana is 
capable of producing, and the addition of a mine and refinery 
could triple the need.  Currently, Ghana's thermal powerplant 
in Takoradi is only run at 25 percent capacity for 6 hours 
per day because the cost of crude oil makes operations 
prohibitive.  To compensate, the GoG imports power from Cote 
d'Ivoire.  Water levels in Lake Volta are high enough to 
ensure that hydropower can be supplied for the next year, but 
it is the only economic source for Valco.  If the lake's 
level falls and the supply from Cote d' Ivoire is interrupted 
before the West Africa Gas Pipeline is completed the GoG 
could be forced to keep Valco closed for some time.  End 
Comment. 
YATES