Expatriates Block Miners

EXPATRIATES BLOCK SMALL-SCALE MINERS
...From expanding operations

The operations of foreign mining companies have come under scathing attacks from members of the Retired Mine Workers Foundation (REMWOF) with their President describing these operations as "a curse rather than blessing" to Ghana.

"The realities on the ground have shown that the operations of foreign mining companies in our country have become a curse rather than a blessing. The contribution of gold mining to Gross Domestic Profit (GDP) is only between 1.8 to 2 per cent," Mr. Michael Bugri, REMWOF's President, asserted in an address at the launch of Youth in Mining Employment Module of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) at Akwatia in the Eastern Region last Wednesday.

Small-scale miners in Ghana do not enjoy most of the incentives extended to multi-national mining companies, such as the huge capital allowances, and stability agreements that protect investments of $500 million or more, and this, it is believed, has taken away the incentive for growing their operations. Besides, capital allowances and stability agreements in particular, have been blamed for the country's marginal returns from the mining sector.

The Youth in Mining Employment Module focuses on creating small scale jobs for the youth in mining communities and promoting best mining practices and environmental conservation.

Mr. Bugri equated the activities and structures of the foreign mining companies to neo -colonialism arguing that these activities violate the dignity of local artisanal miners. "The lack of human dignity experienced by our artisanal miners is the direct result of neo-colonialism.

No small scale mining company in Ghana has been able to develop to a large scale mining company. This is because the neo-colonialism structure has made it so difficult, almost to the point of impossibility; with the simple reason being that our mining sector is dominated by foreigners."

The launch of the Youth in Mining Employment Module is a collaborative effort among the NYEP, the Great Consolidated Diamonds Limited (GCDL) and the REMWOF. Great Consolidated Diamonds Limited has acquired Ghana Consolidated Diamonds Limited in Akwatia, which in recent past has been in the news for its financial and operational crises. Operations are expected to start very soon.

According to Bugri, the mining sector is fraught with serious problems which if not solved immediately could lead to a complete breakdown of social structures in our mining communities.

He explained that large areas of land have been given out for exploration and eventual exploitation and in an area such as the Wassa West District, 40 percent of the total land surface is consigned to foreign mining concessions. This, he contended, has resulted in scarcity of land leading to huge problems of landlessness and unemployment in the district.

He noted that many of the foreign mining companies are into surface mining which does not generate a lot of employment especially not for unskilled labourers. Surface mining, he said, displaces farmers from their lands.

"It is very common to see huge cocoa farms destroyed to give way to mining activities of multinational companies. Experience has shown that compensation provided to farmers for their cocoa plantations destroyed is grossly inadequate. In some cases, farms have been destroyed without the consent of the farmers. These actions have impoverished affected farmers disabling them from sending their children to school and pay medical bills."

A representative o f the GCDL, Ms Mavis Yamoah, said GCDL will be responsible and pragmatic in its resolve to reform the Ghana Consolidated Diamond to the benefit of the entire nation.

"We at GCDL believe that modern mining must be concerned not only with the production and processing of mineral commodities, but also with the mitigation of damage to the environment. We also believe that the exploration of our natural resources to generate good economic outcomes must not be inconsistent with good environmental practice."

The Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Baba Jamal, said the development of the youth is very paramount to the Atta Mills government, and that several initiatives like the Youth in Agriculture Programme, Information and Communication Technology and the current Youth in Mining Employment Modules are all intended to help harness the great potentials in the youth.

"With the implementation of these modules, every unemployed youth is expected to be enrolled in one of the modules available. This is a clear indication that the unemployed youth in Ghana now have a lot options to develop themselves and contribute meaningfully to national development".

He urged prospective members of the Youth in Mining Module to ensure good environmental practices when the programme takes off so that in the quest to solve the unemployment problem environmental ones are not created.

Author: Akwasi Fredua/Public Agenda

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Minister calls on the international business community to invest in Ghana.

Accra, July 23, GNA - Ms. Hanna Tetteh, Minister for Trade and Industry, has called on the global business community to explore and invest in attractive opportunities in the various sectors of Ghana's economy.

She said that government was pursuing policies and strategies aimed at maintaining friendly and peaceful co-existence and expanding economic cooperation with sister African countries and the world at large to ensure that Ghana's oil find becomes a blessing rather than a curse to the country.

According to a statement signed by Nana Akrasi-Sarpong, Acting Director Communications and Public Affairs of the Ministry, Ms Hanna Tetteh was addressing Chiness government officials, diplomats, business executives and other participants at the Ghana National Day celebration at the on-going 2010 World Expo in Shangai, China.

The event was preceded by a flag raising ceremony and signing of Honour Book at the Expo Centre.

Ms. Tetteh said Ghana's participation in the World Expo 2010 underscored its commitment to be part of the international system to promote, enhance and share ideas on the theme: "Better City, Better Life".

"By participating in the Expo, Ghana stands the better chance of strengthening bilateral cooperation with China, promoting economic activities, enhancing Ghana's effort in modernizing our cities, improving market access to China and other Asian countries, adding value to Ghana's agricultural raw materials and promoting Ghana's eco-tourism."

Ms. Tetteh said that Ghana, like any other developing country was experiencing massive migration from the rural areas to the urban centers leading to congestion, slums and other social problems.

She said: 'Government in recognition of this has initiated strategies to stem this movement adding, Ghana's participation in the 2010 World Expo would enable it to exchange ideas and learn from other countries, to stem the rural-urban drift.

Ms. Tetteh said that Ghana was participating in the Expo on the theme: "Garden Cities" to advocate the judicious use of resources to enhance socio-economic advancement on one hand and sound environmental practices on the other.

She noted that Ghana and China have maintained cordial political, cultural and economic relations for several decades.

Ms. Tetteh commended China for supporting Ghana to promote her agriculture, energy, infrastructure and financial sectors.

She said that Ghana was gradually becoming a hub for Chinese businesses and trade between the two countries has improved tremendously over the last few years adding, "China currently leads in direct foreign investment in Ghana with almost 500 projects".

Ms. Tetteh commended the Chinese government for organizing the Expo and inviting and supporting Ghana financially to participate in the event.

At a business launch, the Deputy Commissioner General of the Shangai EXPO, Jaing Zhengyun, proposing a toast, said that bilateral cooperation between Ghana and China dated back to the era of Ghana's first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

He said that China would support Ghana and congratulated the Black Stars for their impressive performance at the just ended FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Ms. Tetteh called on Ghana and China to deepen their cooperation

The Minister and her entourage watched a documentary depicting the difficulties the people of China endured in reconstructing their country.

Ms. Tetteh toured the Chinese pavilion and signed the visitor's book. and visited the pavilion of Kenya, Cameroon and other African countries.

The Minister held a meeting with officials after touring Ghana's pavilion to acquaint herself with what the country was showcasing to the international community.

At a business forum, Mr. Peng Yezhen Peng, Chairman of Shandong Hiage Group, called on the business community to transform the challenges confronting Ghana into business opportunities.

He stressed that Ghana had a lot of business opportunities which must be exploited by the Chinese business community.

Officials of Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and the Ghana Free Zones Board took the Chinese business community through the business opportunities in Ghana.

Representatives of Huawei Company, Zoomlion, Shenzhen Energy, Sino Hydro Corporation, and Shangai Construction Group discussed their business experiences in Ghana.

Other Ghanaian officials who attended the event were; Hellen Mamle Kofi, Ghana'a Ambassador to China, Mr. John Gyentua, Minister of State at the Presidency, Mr. Amadu Sorogho, Member of Parliament for Adenta, some members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade and Industry and representatives of agencies under the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

The Ghana Dance Ensemble treated the participants to a cultural display, waving miniature flags; they could not help but joined the dancers on stage.

GNA

SIAKON MEDIA

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