Sulemanu Konney
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Sulemanu Konney, said the Chamber has earmarked $2m to train and build local capacity in various institutions.
Dr. Konney revealed this at Ntotrosu-Gyedu in the Ahafo Region when he participated in the inauguration of the Association of Local Mine Contractors in Ghana.
According to him, the amount is to support research, serve as grant to students and for infrastructure development, among others.
As such he urged local contractors in the mining sector to take advantage of the initiative by availing themselves for training.
“As an association, I encouraged you to deepen commitment to training and mentorship so as to build a world class workforce for Ghana’s mining sector,” he said.
The association which comprises local mine contractors undertake various subcontracts from mining giants including, Newmont Ghana Gold Limited. They aim to have a united voice, advocate for fair policies, create a platform to empower and strengthen local businesses in the mining sector.
Addressing members of the association, Dr Sulemanu said the chamber has already disbursed $2m to support the University of Mines and Technology in that regard with another $2m in the pipeline to help industry personnel and infrastructure development.
He also underscored the contribution of the mining industry to the economic growth of the country saying in 2024 for instance, the industry contributed 10% to GDP and generated 50% of total export revenues.
“This reinforces Ghana’s status as Africa’s leading gold producer for the same year. The overall minerals sector contributed over 60 % of total export revenue,” he revealed.
In taxes, he noted that the country’s mining industry contributed GH¢11.5bn in 2023 representing 23% of direct domestic revenue according to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and 9% of government revenue.
President of the association, Alex Kwame Boapong of Alexiboam Company thanked his colleague executives for making a dream come true.
He expressed gratitude to Newmont for nurturing local companies while urging the government to recognise the association as their members cut-across the country.
“This will enable us employ more Ghanaians to reduce unemployment thereby solving the problem of illegal mining otherwise called as galamsay,” he said.
FROM Daniel Dayee, Ntotrosu-Gyedu