By
Godwill Arthur-Mensah, GNA
Nsuta (WR), July 21, GNA – Mr John Peter
Amewu, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, has pledged the government’s
unswerving determination to go to every length to make sure that bauxite mining
in the Atewa Forest is made more responsible, sustainable and environmentally
friendly.
This comes amid protests by some people in the
area against moves to mine the huge bauxite deposits in the forest reserve.
The reserve is internationally recognized as
one of the highest priority ecosystems in West Africa for its high species
diversity, high levels of endemism and great hydrological importance.
The forest was gazetted as a National
Forest Reserve in 1926, then subsequently a Special Biological Protection Area
in 1994, a Hill Sanctuary, in 1995, and as one of Ghana’s 30 Globally
Significant Biodiversity Areas, in 1999.
It is also recognised as an Important Bird Area.
Mr Amewu told journalists at Tarkwa-Nsuta in
the Western Region after he led a delegation to the Ghana Manganese Company
(GMC), that they would learn from international best practices, regarding
responsible mining, to safeguard the environment and health of the people.
He cited the example of Australia, which had
been mining natural resources without endangering the environment, and said,
the Africa Centre for Energy Policy – a policy think tank, had conducted a base
survey in the area that would guide mining of bauxite in the reserve.
He gave the assurance that there would be
extensive stakeholders’ consultations to address the concerns of everybody.
The Akufo-Addo Administration was committed to
ensuring sustainable mining, and he asked all stakeholders in the extractive
industry to give strong support its efforts.
The Minister expressed his displeasure with
the non-involvement of the government by the GMC in the pricing of manganese
ore sold to a company in China.
The government owed 10 percent shares in the
company and therefore, its consent must be sought before it engaged in any
transaction with a foreign firm, he stated.
Mr Amewu directed the management to furnish
the Minerals Commission with details about the price at which the ore was being
sold to the Chinese company.
He also reminded them to see to it that they
complied with local content laws and respected the contract agreement signed
with the government.
The company should hire more local people and
to live up to its corporate social responsibility to the communities where it
was operating.
He announced that his ministry would soon
conduct an operational audit of all mining firms to make sure that, government
received its fair share of taxes and royalties from the exploitation of natural
resources.
Mr Zhang Zhengheng, the Managing Director of
the GMC, said they paid US$18 million in taxes, last year.
He said the Company had projected to increase
its production from two million tonnes of manganese to 4.8 million tons this
year, and targeted to pay US$430 million dollars in taxes.
The Minister had earlier inspected a
resettlement town built by the GMC for the residents of New Tarkwa Banso.
A total of 308 houses including a church and
mosque had been constructed alongside a market to resettle the people, affected
by the mining operation.
GNA