According to him, the MoU is to ensure that the workers of the company who will be affected by the redundancy programme are re-engaged under the new arrangement.

Gold Fields Ghana Limited in December 2017 announced that it is changing its operational strategy from owner mining to contract mining.

[contextly_sidebar id=”nHTNsOQEdP3MydIsfagdJwW7rPc3KPa0″]The situation is leading to the laying off of some 1,500 workers at its Tarkwa mine in the Western Region.

The decision has been heavily resisted by the Ghana Mine Workers’ Union which has accused the company of acting in bad faith leading to a demonstration on Monday, March 12, 2018.

This was after the Union’s attempt to get the company to reverse its decision in court failed.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, the sector Minister assured that his outfit is doing everything possible to bring the issue to a halt.

“Yesterday [ Monday], we had a very extensive meeting together with the Ministry of Labour and the Union executives to resolve this issue. So we have resolved and signed some Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry and union. So that is what we are doing to ensure that we bring this issue to a halt.”

Peter Amewu explained that the new contract mining arrangement is in the interest of the workers and Ghana as a whole, adding that it will boost local content.

“The union is not against contract mining just like government itself. The rationale basically for contract mining across the world is the idea of local content involvement. We are coming out with a local content agenda which is saying that of course you need to get Ghanaian companies to also do the mining, so this is in the interest of the country. The principles of the layoffs are such that whoever comes in as the staff contractor is going to re-engage those workers and those workers are going be paid 25 percent of their annual salary for every year that they work and the workers themselves are happy.”

“What we have to guard against and make sure it doesn’t happen is that those people who are going to laid off and paid their redundancy packages, we have to make sure those same people are going to be re-engaged and the understanding they have with the mother union is that they will be given the first right of option to make sure that they are engaged by the staff contractor,” he added.

Layoffs will impact mining sector adversely

Meanwhile, the Third World Network is predicting a drastic change in large scale mining in Ghana if Goldfields Ghana’s new mining plan is allowed to sail through.

According to the Coordinator for the Third World Network, Dr. Yao Graham, this is also likely to impact the revenue from the mining sector going forward.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Dr. Yao Graham explained that the issues must be carefully monitored.

“The quality of work, remuneration and security of the workers are being cut, and it is important to also know that once this precedent is set, the nature of large scale mining sector work as we know it, is going to end forever because Anglogold Ashanti is also lining up to carry out something similar. All over the world what happens to casualisation is that the company protects its returns and the share of value that is created going to the labour force drops,” he argued.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Gold Fields planned layoffs: Gov’t intervenes after workers’ protest appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Previously, there had been a ban on felling of rosewood. In the last few years, harvesting of the species had gone out of control and in curbing the indiscipline, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources in 2014 banned the harvesting, transportation, export, sale or processing of rosewood in the country which mainly come from the three Northern regions.

The companies are to strictly comply with seventeen guidelines and regulations relating to the grant of timber rights and also pay all statutory fees and approval premiums.

[contextly_sidebar id=”jHrAyTgkbkxdIHBSIAFPH1KGAK061vty”]In a letter signed by acting Executive Director of the Forestry Commission, Forest Services Division, Oppon Sasu, and dated 16th August, 2017,  directed the affected companies to comply with the guidelines for the evacuation of lying logs, harvesting, processing and transportation of the Rosewood.

The companies by the guidelines are to among others maximize revenue and logs with valid permit shall be sold at GHC120.00, while confiscated logs shall be sold at GHC200.00.

Also payment of statutory levy and premium shall be made upcountry  via bankers draft before approval of export permit.

Containers in transit to the ports are not to be sealed to enable easy access for inspection at check points and customs points.

Inspectors at checkpoints shall endorse and stamp the document covering the rosewood consignment in transit before allowing the truck to move to its final destination.

Inspectors at checkpoints shall within 24 hours report any illegal produced consignment or consignment without appropriate documentation to the nearest forestry commission office, while all broken down trucks carrying Rosewood shall report to the nearest Forestry Commission office within two days.

Efforts to ascertain whether or not there are still rosewood logs to be salvaged in the region proved futile, because  the new regional forestry director for Upper East is yet to report to duty.

But a pressure group, Northern Patriots in Research and Advocacy (NORPRA), wants government to revoke permits granted the affected companies stressing that, there was no existing logs of rosewood in the region for salvage.

He hinted that, they shall stage series of actions to stop the move if government fails to act on the plea.

Below is NORPRA’s statement:

NORPRA CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO STOP HARVESTING ROESEWOOD IN NORTHERN SAVANNAH ZONE

The Northern Patriots in Research and Advocacy (NORPRA), is calling on the Nana Addo administration to demonstrate one more time that it is a listening government by revoking all permits granted to over 20 companies to harvest and process rosewood trees in northern Ghana and that of the Brong Ahafo region.

NORPRA has intercepted a copy of a document signed by the Chief Executive of Forestry Commission granting approval to over 20 companies to engage in logging rosewood in northern Ghana and Brong Ahafo region. In an effort to ascertain the facts on the operations of these companies, NORPRA made a field trip to a number of communities in the Talensi district of the upper east region and shockingly saw for itself rosewood being cut down in commercial quantities.

It is recalled that environmentally conscious Ghanaians, climate change advocates and people of northern Ghana strongly supported the NPP in opposition when the party raised the alarm bell through a press conference on the felling of these rosewood tress in northern Ghana. The Nana Addo led government was again highly went applauded when government in the 2017 Budget Statement  and Economic Policy stated that it had placed high premium on combating climate change through prioritization of climate change programmes and projects. Regrettably, this same government in this very month of August is authorizing the cutting down of the same rosewood trees in the part of the country that has livelihoods seriously threatened by the harsh impacts of climate change.

What is more worrying is that government is engaging in this environmentally unfriendly action at a time Ghana’s development partners and the international community are sympathizing with the Ghanaian people on the increasing impacts of climate change on livelihoods and supporting the country with huge resources to implement a number of climate adaptation projects to help the people especially rural communities to improve livelihoods under severe climate change impacts through effective adaptation interventions.

Government needs to be constantly reminded that research has already shown clearly that impacts of climate change will intensify in northern Ghana with temperature increasing by 2^OC by the year 2030. This is certainly very alarming and what NORPRA expects of government is to rededicate itself to the implementation of a very comprehensive national policy on climate change to minimize the threats posed by climate change.

This very action of the government is therefore not only undermining and defeating the noble objectives of the country’s climate change policy and that of the Paris Agreement on climate change but also a demonstration of no practical commitment to the global development agenda such as the Africa Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

We wish to conclude by urging government to, as a matter of urgency stop all these companies from further logging of the rosewood trees in northern Ghana that is already grabbling with desertification and other climate change impacts. NORPRA will not hesitate to embark on series of well-organized actions to stop the companies from turning the affected communities into a complete desert if government does not respond in good time.

Bismark Adongo Ayorogo

(Executive Director)

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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Gov’t permits over 20 companies to fell rosewood appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Minister disclosed this during a working visit to Shaanxi Mining Company Limited on Thursday, after ordering for the temporary suspension of the company’s operations following the death of some miners in the area.

“I have listened to your (Shannxi Mining company) case carefully, and I am directing that, the Upper East Regional Minister Rockson Bukari in collaboration with the Regional commander of police DCOP Vincent Redeemer take immediately steps to make sure that, they block those illegal shafts that are used to invade the mines of Shaanxi”.

He added: “It is the interest of the same individuals who use these illegal shafts to invade the mines because by doing so, some of the mines we understand collapse  and trap people and people are put in their own risk because my understand is that, some of these pits are built in the various homes”.

Mr. Amewu reiterated that, though government was not against mining, it would not relent on its duty to revoke licenses and sanction mining firms who flaws the laws governing mining in Ghana.

“The Shannxi Mining company has been put on suspension, the suspension was not because government don’t like the company, Ghana is not against Chinese doing business in Ghana but so long as you refuse to abide by the terms and regulations that mandates you to undertake mining activities, government will always be against you because we want things to be done in a more sustainable manner”.

There are lots of criteria that makes your mining regulated or unregulated. If you have a good mining license and your mining methodology does not conform to the lay down practices, you are equally describing a galamsey operator. So we are here to go through the mine and examine your operations and advise”.

“You (Shaanxi mining company) comingle two small mining blocs and being describe as a small scale mining company that on itself is an illegality.  You hide under the small scale mining and you operate a large scale mining thus evading tax, royalty and other benefits to government because your equipments and capacities can be applied to any large scale mining, so why don’t you apply for large scale mining license”. Mr. Amewu stated.

The PRO of Shaanxi Mining company Maxwell Wooma told Citi News, management of Shaanxi mining company had applied to the Minerals Commission for large scale mining license in 2013 in conformance with standard practice.

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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Minister orders closure of illegal mining pits in Talensi appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Inusah Fuseini, who said he fixed the device in 2013 when he served in the same capacity, said the installation was not completed because he didn’t have time.

[contextly_sidebar id=”dunizoAwakyNLK3zkQ5y2sQw53A5Sz9F”]“It is true that I was installing it in 2013, but we never got around to completing the installation and so that is why the national security did the swoop in the office they didn’t pick any signal because it’s not working.”

When asked why he couldn’t complete the installation, Inusah Fuseini said “somebody was doing it [for me] but I didn’t have time. While doing it, he needed me in the office but I didn’t have time so he couldn’t complete it.”

The audio visual device hidden in the coat of arms in the office of the Lands Minister was found on Monday by a team from the National Security who are currently investigating the matter.

But even before the investigations could proceed, Inusah Fuseini told Citi News that he installed the device for his personal protection because he took up the fight against  illegal mining also known as galamsey in the country at the time.

“As a minister, I had started the fight against galamsey…that was an investment in my own security. Kumbour had been shot during the time we came into office and I have been advised by National Security to leave my private residence at Ridge and move into a government residence in town. So I was doing that to ensure that I monitor people who were coming into my office in my presence and in my absence,” he added.

I’m not too surprised about uncovered ‘spying’ device – Amewu

The current Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Peter Amewu, in an earlier Citi News interview said he was not “too surprised” about the discovery, although he suggested that the device may have been installed to monitor him due to his fight against illegal mining.

“It is quite shocking. It is a caution for us to be careful in the environment we are working in. I am not too surprised; but it is an interesting thing that has been uncovered. The fight against illegal mining is a presidential directive. The President gave this directive that we must keep the environment. And I am not doing this alone. I am doing it with other sectorial Ministers so it is a caution that we should be extra careful,” Mr. Amewu added.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Spying device in Amewu’s office not working – Inusah Fuseini appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

An audio visual device believed to have been secretly planted in the office was discovered on Monday which triggered further investigations by the National Security.

[contextly_sidebar id=”3XMq6rn0N31t88hDrOf8JGOjvpi2RfPp”]But even before the investigations could proceed, Inusah Fuseini told Citi News that he installed the device in 2013 for his personal protection because he took up the fight against  illegal mining also known as galamsey in the country.

He also disclosed that the device is not functional because the installation was not completed.

“It is true that I was installing it in 2013; but we never got around to completing the installation and so that is why the national security did the swoop in the office they didn’t pick any signal because it’s not working.”

“As a minister, I had started the fight against galamsey…that was an investment in my own security. Kumbour had been shot during the time we came into office and I had been advised by National Security to leave my private residence at Ridge and move into government residence in town. So I was doing that to ensure that I monitor people who were coming into my office in my presence and in my absence.”

When asked why he couldn’t complete the installation, Inusah Fuseini said “somebody was doing it [for me] but I didn’t have time. While doing it he needed me in the office but I didn’t have time so he couldn’t complete it.”

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By: Godwin A. Allotey & Franklin Badu Jnr/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post I installed ‘spying’ device during my time – Inusah Fuseini owns up appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The government, he said, was also coming up with a well-rehearsed strategy to implement drastic punitive measures to ensure that all people who connived to fund the activities of the illegal miners were dealt with.

“This time round, we will not take things lightly because we believe that China and India are the sources of funding for these illegal miners; so we are dealing with the root cause of the menace,” Mr Amewu said in an interview with the Daily Graphic Tuesday.

Diplomacy
The minister said the road map to dealing with the illegal mining menace included the use of dialogue and other cordial mechanisms, for which reason he met a Chinese delegation last Monday to discuss the way forward.

[contextly_sidebar id=”vM1hUBT7VYQWdxDgqnFSjKg3G8udkzWO”]“It was reported in a section of the media that I appeared to be begging the Chinese to stop the practice, but that was not the case.

“Illegal mining, otherwise known as galamsey, has been carried out for many decades and needs to be tackled with the tact and urgency it deserves, so if begging can do the trick, I do not see anything wrong with that. But I can assure the public that in the next three weeks they will see the roll-out of full-scale measures to tackle the menace,” he said.

Effects
Illegal mining has been a major national development challenge that many governments have grappled with over the years.

Apart from depriving the country of its agricultural land, the practice has resulted in the pollution of major water bodies, depriving many people of their sources of livelihood.

In some cases, the illegal miners, mostly Chinese, have had violent confrontations with residents of communities where the practice goes on, leading to loss of lives and properties.

Some traditional rulers and opinion leaders have been linked to the practice because they appear to be providing space for the illegal miners to operate.

Sanctions
Touching on the involvement of local influencers in the menace, Mr Amewu said anyone found behind the illegal mining activities would be brought to book in the interest of the country.

“We are going all out to ensure that all culprits, including chiefs, religious leaders and political figures, are held in check to stop the practice.

“It is a strong warning to any of these people who are in one way or another fuelling the practice to desist from it before they are caught in the web to face the consequential action,” he said.

Mr Amewu underscored the need for all stakeholders, including the media, to collaborate and take up the fight against illegal mining, adding: “We are all at risk of suffering the consequences of the activities of illegal miners.”

He lauded the advocacy role the media had embarked on to augment the strategies by the government aimed at rooting out the menace.

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Source: Graphic Online

The post Stop galamsey in 3 weeks or face the law – Amewu appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.