Heather Cameron and the Ghanaian delegation in a pose
Barbara Oteng Gyasi, Deputy Minister for Lands & Natural Resources, has revealed government’s plan to develop the country through its ‘Ghana Beyond Aid initiative.
Ms Oteng Gyasi, who led a government delegation to Toronto, Canada, to attend the 2018 PDAC, was speaking at the Northern Ontario Mining Showcase, as part of a number of events and meetings largely facilitated by the Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana, Heather Cameron.
She said besides mining traditional minerals, Ghana is looking at diversifying its mining sector.
Key minerals that arecurrently being promoted include iron ore for an integrated iron and steel industry, bauxite for the alumina-aluminium industry, lithium, base metals and solar salt, etc.
The Deputy Minister praised the Canadian companies operating in Ghana such as Golden Star Resources, Asanko Mines for undertaking significant CSR projects in the mining communities.
She assured investors that government would address the challenge of VAT on exploration activities such as drilling and laboratory analysis of samples.
Hon Barbara also urged investors, including mine support service companies, to take advantage of Ghana’s conducive investment environment for win-win circumstances.
The delegation also participated in the award ceremony of GSR Ltd.
GSR was adjudged the 2018 PDAC company for CSR activities.
Board Chairman of the Minerals Commission, S. K. Boafo, also participated in the closing of the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), where he was given opportunity to be part of the African delegation that rang the closing bells.
Canada is the world leader for access to capital in the mining sector.
About 57 percent of the global mining financings were done on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and the TSX Venture Exchanges (TSXV) in 2016.
Almost 64 billion mining shares were traded on the TSX in 2016 with a total value of CND $189 billion.
The delegation, which included Hon Duker, MP or Tarkwa-Nsuaem Constituency and Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Mines and Energy, also met the Quebec Ministry of Economic, Science and Innovation and the Canadian Resources Development Institute.
The Government of Ghana also mounted a booth manned by the Minerals Commission.
A business desk report