Veep calls for support for small scale mining

Back Page (lead) June 4/2008

Story: Charles Benoni Okine

The Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, has urged mining companies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to support the promotion of legal small-scale mining in the country to create employment opportunities for Ghanaians in that sector.
Such a move, he said, could also contribute to the reduction of the negative activities of illegal miners in the country.
The Vice-President, who said this at the opening of the 8th West African International Mining and Power Conference and Exhibition in Accra yesterday, said the activities of illegal miners in the country posed a major challenge to the industry.
The three-day exhibition and conference, which is on the theme: “Development through mining and power — a shared responsibility”, is being attended by 76 companies from mining countries in the sub-region with 26 coming from South Africa alone.
Alhaji Mahama challenged the participants at the function to come up with suggestions for the downstream processing of the various minerals.
Ms Joyce Aryee, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, who chaired the function, said the chamber was committed to creating the avenues that would enable to it create more jobs for the people.
She described the suggestion from the government for the collaboration as timely and pledged that the mining companies would consider it seriously.