COMMISSION OF COMMUNITY MINING TO EMPLOY THOUSANDS PEOPLE AT WASSA AFRANSIE.
Posted on April 5, 2023
The chiefs and people of Wassa Afransie a community in the Wassa Amenfi East Municipality were met with a lot of excitement as they welcomed the Deputy Minister of Land and Natural Resources in terms of Mining, Hon. Mireku Duker, the Western Regional Minister Hon. Kwabena Otchere Darko and the MCE for the Municipality Hon. Frederick Korankye. Other dignitaries present were Representatives from the Minerals Commission, the Municipal Coordinating Director, Mr Ishmael Anaman among others.
The MCE in his address stated that the purpose of the gathering was to inaugurate a Community Mining Scheme in the community. He added that, this scheme will create more than 1,000 employment opportunities. He thanked the President of Ghana for the good initiative and asked the Hon. Mireku Duker to help regularize and establish more Community Mining in the Municipality.
The Hon. Regional Minister in his speech informed all community members present not to take advantage of the Community Mining to indulge in illegal mining. He also appealed to the Chiefs to also monitor the activity of the community mining. He also informed all present that if in any way they do not conform with the regulations regarding community mining, he will make sure the project is taken from there.
The Deputy Minister for Land and Natural Resources established that the President is not against mining, but what he is against is irresponsible mining. He said the Government has been able to bring out new technology in mining which makes mining very responsible and this has led to the introduction of Community Mining. He also stated that, the small scale mining creates about 1 million jobs while the large scale mining creates about 50,000 jobs.
He also encouraged everyone who wants to engage in small scale mining to go through the due process to acquire the requisite licences. He also stressed on the employment of local hands in order to give more opportunities to the locals to be employed by the scheme.
The Chief of Afransie expressed their gratitude to the President for such initiatives and for the employment they have created for the people of Afransie and asked that more of this should be established in other communities to create more employment.
