Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng
FOUR COMMUNITY mines
with capacity to create about 3,000 jobs each have been inaugurated in the
Ashanti Region as part of government’s plans to formalize mining activities in
the country.
The beneficiary
communities include Adansi-Akrofuom, Koben, Mpasatia and Kotokuom in the
Akrofuom and Atwima Nwabiagya South and Atwima Mponua districts respectively.
The Minister of Environment,
Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, who
performed the inaugural ceremonies, said it was anticipated that each of the
community mines would create 2,000 jobs in their early operations and increase
to 3,000 in subsequent years.
A sizeable number
of people lost their jobs in the three years running up to the ban on all forms
of small-scale mining introduced by government following an outrage from the
public about the activities of illegal mining on water bodies and the
environment.
The minister said
the community mining programme would ensure
responsible mining, which would be done within the tenets of the law.
According
to him, the miners had been trained by government
at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa, to use the required
skills and processes to undertake their activities, pointing out that they had
been trained not to use mercury for the extraction of gold.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng
disclosed that under the new arrangement, the miners would be insured against
risk and accidents for their operation, and added they would be made to pay
their taxes as required by law.
He stated that
the community mine was owned by the locals and would be managed by a committee
headed by the District Chief Executive for the day-to-day operation.
He said members
of the committee included the traditional authority, the Member of Parliament,
Forestry Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng
revealed that a monitoring team would be put in place to educate residents on
preservation of land to avoid accident and the misuse of chemicals in mining.
He admonished the
youth against the use of hard drugs, including cocaine and tramadol.
MCE Samuel Amoah
Awuku and DCE William Darko for the areas praised President Akufo-Addo for the
programme.
They called on
the youth to support the programme to succeed, indicating that the community
mines would help reduce unemployment rate in the districts.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Nkawie
