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Ghanaians urged to invest in large scale mining

Government’s policy of ‘Ghana beyond Aid’ is achievable if Ghanaian entrepreneurs will invest in large scale mining to boost the country’s economy, says the Board Chairman of the Minerals Commission, Sampson Kwaku Boafo.

According to Mr Boafo, “the time has come for Ghanaian entrepreneurs to stop putting up large buildings and stores and invest massively in the mining sector without being miners.”

Mr Boafo made the call following the realisation that two Ghanaian owned mining companies, Rocksure International and Thonket Plant Pool, have made strides in their mining services at Asanko Gold Mine at Manso Nkran, in the Amansie West District of Ashanti, during a familiarisation tour of the facility by the members of the Commission, on Monday.

“When it comes to local content, Asanko Gold comes first, they are a purely Ghanaian company, and I would like to appeal to the other mining companies to emulate them to boost the economy,” he intoned.

He appealed to the media to do all possible to trumpet such good news to motivate the Ghanaian entrepreneurs to take a look at the mining sector.

The two indigenous companies provide drilling, blasting, haulage among other services and, have prioritised the participation of local and indigenous communities in their activities and operations.

While Thonket is mining Akwasiso pit, Rocksure is engaged in mining the Dynamite Hill, both of Asanko Gold Mine.

Mr Charles Amoah, Executive General Manager of Asanko mentioned that the company is poised to develop local economies hence the opportunities given to Thonket and Rocksure to bring their capacities and capabilities to match international standards.

Earlier, during a presentation, Mr Amoah noted that the company’s workface has 99 per cent Ghanaians with 37 per cent from the 23 local communities within their catchment areas at Obotan and Esaase stressing, “our aim is to expand the involvement of indigenous companies across our operations, from the core of our business, mining all the way through the business, using key Ghanaian and local supplies to the ancillary services such as transport and catering”.

The Corporate Affairs Executive, Fred Attakumah, on his part, stated that Ghana has what it takes to compete with the expatriates in terms of mining expertise and “it is time we should be able to own our country more and be able to demonstrate that we are a top mining country.”

He noted that there are Ghanaian professionals working as expatriates all over the world, in the United States of America, Australia and South Africa, and that when it came to the capabilities of Ghanaians that have been built, there is no debate about it. 

In spite of being three years in operation, Asanko Gold Mine, won the prestigious “Mining Company of the Year 2018” and the “Best Performer in Innovation”, awards from the Ghana Chamber of Mines at the annual Ghana Mining Industry Awards Ceremony.

Its vision is to become a mid-tier gold mining company that maximises value for all its stakeholders.

FROM KINGSLEY E. HOPE, MANSO NKRAN

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