[ad_1]
Accra, June 17, GNA – The former President J.A.
Kufuor urged Minerals Board to deepen Ghana's mining sector
local content of the industry by developing the Ghanaian sector to become
billionaires.
He noted that "as a country, it is about us
make deliberate and conscious efforts to develop our own future
billionaires and the mining sector in particular is where the prospects are for
now.
"I implore you to look beyond the
local content policy for job creation and new policies
develop and develop Ghanaians to become owners of giant mines in the
country".
The former president made these remarks when the
Council of the Minerals Commission, under the chairmanship of MSK Boafo paid a
courtesy visit on him at his home.
On the illegal mining threat (galamsey) still
prevailing in the country despite government efforts to stem
the former president said a national forum should be organized,
in the presence of the president, to sensitize the whole nation to the extent to which
devastation on the country's environment and its consequences on the
generation yet to be born.
Former President Kufuor also called for a
second review of the use of the "stick method" of criminalization as a first option
deal with illegal mining issues and adopt policies and initiatives that
will handle the problem appropriately.
He proposed that the Minerals Commission
should further explore the concept of "blocked areas" of the mining concession
interested artisbad miners were registered as cooperatives / groups and
authorized in the concession.
In this way, their activities can be controlled and
monitored in accordance with mining compliance and best practices, the former
The president noted.
For his part, the chairman of the board, Mr. Boafo,
recognizing the former President of the opportunity offered to the Council to pay
him a call of courtesy and especially for his judicious advice.
He badured that the council will deliberate on
advice of the former President and develop policies and procedures to
implement them.
He informed the ex-president that since his
appointment of President Akufo-Addo and his subsequent inauguration, the council had
does a lot of work in the transformation of the mining sector.
He pointed out that "Ghana has recently been ranked
the leading producer of gold in Africa.
In addition, prospecting activities are under development.
way in the central region around Saltpond and Mankessim to find commercial of
Lithium, a mineral that should play a key role in the global energy transition.
He said because of innovative research and
discoveries on the use of lithium in the production of batteries for
vehicles and electrical equipment, it would strengthen the diversification policy
The mineral production base of Ghana, among others ".
The Chairman of the Board indicated that
Commission in collaboration with the sector ministry and the interministerial commission
Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) was already working on a community mining program
concept of bringing artisbad miners back under a "blocked" concession in order to
that they can be properly monitored for mine to be operated responsibly and easily
regulated.
He said to make sure that the mining
communities did not become ghost towns even after the cessation of mining and also
discourage young people especially from illegal mining, the Minerals Commission
adopted palm oil as a sustainable livelihood project in mining communities
including Dunkwa-Ayanfuri.
The Commission will extend the project to
Eastern Region, where community members receive free oil palm seedlings
venture into the production of palm oil.
GNA
Source link
