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