The initial six-month ban was set to end in October 2017, but the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, John Peter Amewu, has said the extension of the ban is inevitable because the moratorium had not achieved a substantial amount of its objectives.

[contextly_sidebar id=”0GiDRPsNy6hivz7GJsdP2mpUguSIHoYm”]During a tour of some mining sites in the Amenfi East District, Mr. Amewu expressed his displeasure with the state of affairs concerning the protection of the environment, and said he will propose before cabinet an extension of the moratorium.

Speaking to the media, he even said President Nana Akufo-Addo “thinks sincerely that a lot more needs to be done and we will all have to look into it.”

A concrete announcement on the extension is to be expected next week, Mr. Amewu said.

Per his assessment, the government is still far off from its targets, in the fight against illegal mining.

“I graded what we have done to about 15 percent, so there is about 85 percent to cover up. So it tells you extensive work still needs to be done… A target rate of 60 to 65 percent can give us some confidence of going back.”

Thus, the Minister stated that “at this stage, I don’t think it is proper for us to say go back [to mining]. We cannot do that and they [the small-scale miners] themselves know.”

The miners have complained that the government’s clamp down on illegal mining activities has seen them treated like illegal miners.

They lamented that Small Scale Miners did their best to satisfy the very rigorous legal regimes under the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), in order to obtain licenses to operate thus, treating them like illegal miners was unfair.

They also recently protested over the temporary ban placed on small-scale mining activities, asserting that the ban was to end in September.

But being more definitive on the matter, Mr. Amewu concluded that, “of course, there is going to be an extension because we haven’t achieved what we are looking for, but we have put in modalities and during the extension period, a lot will be done.”

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By: Kojo Agyeman/Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Ban on small-scale mining will be extended – Amewu appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Minister has also ordered the arrest of the foreigners involved, including two Russians and two Ukrainians.

The mining firm was found to be using licenses of three local mining companies to mine at Tontokrom in the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region.

The company is to reclaim all disturbed lands and provide evidence to the Inspectorate Division of the Minerals Commission of the restoration.

The company was issued with the “stop work order” by the Inspection Directorate of the Minerals Commission on May 18 but disregarded directives and continued mining.

The firm has mined 500 acres of land instead of 75 acres originally permitted by the Minerals Commission.

The company said it had a small scale mining license, but Mr. Amewu, in an exchange of words with the foreign miners, retorted that “what you are doing here has nothing to do with the small scale. You are destroying the environment and polluting the water bodies.”

“Just behind your door, you saw the pollution of the water bodies and this is clearly a concession meant for small scale mining. You are engaged in this as foreigners but I don’t think this will happen in your country,” Mr. Amewu said.

Two other companies, Kasmil Mining Company Limited and K. Afriyie and Sons Precious Metals Company Limited, were also issued with a stop work order.

These two companies are to also see to the reclamation of the land they worked on.

The government had previously suspended the operations of Shaanxi Ghana Mining Company Limited operating in Gbane in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region temporarily.

According to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the suspension in that instance was to allow for thorough investigations into the company’s underground operations, and the alleged death of about seven miners in the area.

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By: Kojo Agyeman/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Small-scale mining company shut down; Russian, Ukrainian operators arrested appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Horseman Shoes has announced the official opening of their first retail outlet. The outlet which is located on the Stanfas Street – Komkomlemle, near the Procredit Office, will be officially opened on Friday, April 4 at 7pm with a short ceremony.

As part of the official opening of the outlet, the Presidential shoes would be auctioned. The proceeds from the auction would be used to fund the Horseman Apprentice Project, a project that seeks to train needy but skilled shoe makers.

The event will be graced by the political and social elite in Ghana, the Netherlands ambassador, representatives from the British High Commission, the US Embassy and many others.

Horseman Shoes manufactures fashionable leather footwear ranging from mens dress shoes, unisex sandals and slippers. The company launched in the year 2010 and has grown to be the most respected Ghanaian shoe brand.

Since its inception, Horseman Shoes has won eight (8) enviable awards. In 2013, Horseman won six (6) awards including the Young Enterprise Company of the Year, the Best Leather Company of the Year – both by the Association of Ghana Industries – and the Outstanding Product Quality Award by the African Leadership Magazine.

The brand has been featured extensively in the both local and international media, notably the CNN and DW networks.

According to Tonyi Senayah, CEO of Horseman, “the opening of this retail out is a huge milestone for our brand. Horseman has been in existence for four years. Our main sales strategy has been to take order and deliver. We believe it’s time we made the brand more accessible to our numerous patrons. We would still be doing our deliveries as well. We believe every individual has a fundamental right to take confident and comfortable strides, and Horseman is set to do just that.”

He added that “everybody is invited to the launch. We hope to have a big gathering of the Horsemen, the people whose continuous support has enabled us build an internationally recognized brand – the people whose support ensures we help the needy in the society with our outreach programmes. We hope to savor the moment of our opening together with everybody and we hope together, we can all make giant successful strides.”

By: Kojo Akoto Boateng/citifmonline/Ghana

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