Australia to assist Ghana’s mining sector

Wednesday 2nd April , 2014 9:51 am

galamsey (2)The Australian High Commissioner, Joanna Adamson, has noted that Ghana’s Mining Sector could be of economic power to the nation and wealth to the people if prudently managed.

She said the sector could be an engine for wealth, with the involvement of experts providing technical advice on resource management.

Ms Adamson made this known in a media interview after the Commission hosted four Australian Volunteers for International Development Programme in Ghana.

The volunteers would be assigned to United Nations University Institute of Natural Resource Management In Africa, Friend of the Nation and Africa Women International for a year.

Ms Adamson said the volunteers would share their technical expertise and contribute to improve Ghana’s development in areas of governance in the extractive sector and environmental management.

She said their expertise would also help promote sustainable livelihoods for women by offering them skills in research, monitoring and evaluation as well as public communications adding that Australia is supporting Ghana’s efforts in the mining and agriculture sectors with the provision of expertise.

Australia is also assisting the country in the management of maritime security.

Ms Adamson said, as part of the Australia government’s cooperation with Ghana, the Commission is providing scholarship dubbed: “Australia Awards” to graduates from Ghana, to pursue programmes on mining, agriculture, public sector administration, health and education.

The High Commissioner explained that Australian volunteers are helping to strengthen Australia’s partnership with Ghana, pointing out that at present 23 of the volunteers are located in six regions.

“Investment in volunteers has been a part of Australia’s larger strategy to support agricultural productivity, effective governance of mineral resources, and to promote shared long term prosperity in Ghana,” Ms Adamson explained.

Since 2010, the Australian government had funded more than 75 professional volunteers, and supporting about 20 volunteers on yearly basis under its Volunteers for International Development Programme through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Source: GNA