The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has launched three Community Mining Schemes at Egila/Gwira, Akango/Duale and Aboso, in the Evalue-Gwira and Tarkwa Nsuaem constituencies, respectively.
The Schemes are expected to create some two thousand (2,000) jobs at Egila/Gwira and Akango/Duale, with some ten thousand (10,000) jobs set to be created at Aboso.
Launching the schemes on Tuesday, 18th August 2020, day one of his 2-day working visit of the Western Region, President Akufo-Addo explained that the Community Mining Scheme is an initiative meant to encourage responsible small-scale mining, in line with the Minerals and Mining Law, 2015, Act 703, in communities across the country.
Recounting the menace wreaked by galamsey across the country, prior to his assumption of office in January 2017, the President stated that the phenomenon led to the pollution of waters, the degradation of lands, the non-reclamation of degraded land, and the use of dangerous chemicals, such as mercury and cyanide, on the environment.
“I was of the view, a view shared happily by the majority of Ghanaians, that, if we allowed it to continue, we would be jeopardising both our present and our future. Our responsibility, to this end, was clear,” he said, adding that “one of the measures instituted by Government to deal with the menace of galamsey is the Community Mining Scheme.”
President Akufo-Addo continued, “We believe that participation by Ghanaians and or the host communities in mining will set us, as a nation, on the journey to boost the rural economy, help rural infrastructure development, and improve livelihoods, through shared wealth. More importantly, it will enable Ghanaians develop the capacity to take over, eventually, the operations of the minerals sector.”
Aboso 1D1F
In addition to launching the Community Mining Scheme at Aboso, President Akufo-Addo cut the sod for the construction of the Abosso Tailings Project, a 1-District-1-Factory initiative, which is being established to treat and process tailings waste to produce gold doré.
Yellowtail Ltd, the enterprise promoting this initiative, will construct a state-of-the-art gold processing facility, within six (6) months, with a total capital outlay of some twelve million dollars ($12 million), to ensure steady production of gold doré.
“The benefits of this project are both environmental and economic. The project will introduce technology and safe working practices to small to medium scale underground sites, and rehabilitate contaminated sites for agricultural purposes and developments”, the President added.
On an annual basis, for five (5) years, the Project will contribute approximately US$1.35 million as royalties, and fifty-four thousand dollars (US$54,000) as small-scale mining sustainable levy to Government. Cumulatively, a total amount, in excess of eight million, seven hundred thousand dollars (US$8.7 million), will be contributed as corporate tax (CIT) over the five (5) year period.
“I am counting on you, Nananom, to contribute to the success of these projects for the development and transformation of Abosso. Government’s determination to bring progress and prosperity to every part of our country is very much on course,” President Akufo-Addo added.
