Accra, Jan 21, GNA –
Mr Benito Owusu-Bio, the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources has
assured government’s unflinching support towards this year’s maiden edition of
the Ghana Gold Expo to be held in Takoradi in the Western Region.
The Deputy Minister
said government’s agenda was to promote responsible gold, as President Nana
Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo made a commitment to the local communities to clean-up
and stop the environmental problems associated with illegal mining.
“We believe with
this government’s policy, both small and large scale miners will increase their
capacity to enable the country meet the 30 per cent refined product,” he said.
This was in a
statement signed by Mr Emmanuel Treku, the Secretary of Ghana Gold Expo and
copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra.
According to the
statement, the Deputy Minister pledged government’s support during a courtesy
call by Dr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, Western Regional Minister and planning
committee members on the upcoming Expo scheduled from March 8 to 10, 2020.
The Deputy Minister
commended the team for their innovative ideas and hardwork, adding that the
strategic options to drive responsible mining and sustainable economic growth
in the industry would require multiple approaches and new technologies.
Dr Darko-Mensah
stated that the historic event would showcase Ghana’s source of gold, its
position as the first in gold production in Africa, refinery capacity and
government policy to promote responsible gold as we eliminate mercury in gold
extraction.
Mr Steven Blessing
Ackah, the Convener of the Expo, said the event would serve as a platform in
recognising Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Miners (ASGM) as stakeholders, and
explore community engagement and social investment priorities as launched by
President Akufo-Addo dubbed: ‘Community Mining Scheme’.
Mr Johan Zietsman,
the Director of Gold Recovery Ghana, said the event was part of a vision to
implement the Minamata Convention Guiding Principles on Mercury, which Ghana
signed in 2014 and ratified in 2017.
During the expo,
there will be interactions with ASGM and local communities through the
provision of appropriate grievance mechanisms.
The Expo is under
the auspices of the Western Regional Coordinating Council and Aurum Monaco,
partners of ViewTag Ghana which seeks to collaborate with consumers, downstream
supply chain and investors to address key environmental issues in conformance
with responsible Gold Mining.
GNA