Small-Scale miners produce more gold
Accra (Greater Accra)
31 March 2003- President John Agyekum Kufuor on Saturday said government was
determined to reverse the perception in French business circles that Ghana was
a small and probably difficult Anglophone market with low purchasing power.
He said the current
trade statistics of the two countries gave Ghana a marginal credit but the
figures were extremely modest by standards of the West African Sub-region. He,
therefore, invited French commercial interests to invest in the country, which
was now ready and poised to substantially increase trade and investment
exchanges particularly with France in the private sector.
"This government
would continue to urge the French business community to increase its trade
activities in Ghana", President Kufuor added. He was speaking at a gala
night organised by the Ghana France Chamber of Commerce, Industry and
Agriculture (GFCCIA) at the Banquet Hall in Accra.
It was organised to
broaden the scope of GFCCIA activities by extending its search for potential
business partners for its members. President Kufuor said France should be an
obvious strategic trade and investment partner of Ghana because it was being
surrounded by Fracophone neighbours.
He noted that because
of the Ghana's colonial past, major French commercial establishments had little
interest in the country as a trade and investment destination and undoubtedly
the language barrier had also been a critical factor.
President Kufuor said
the French government had now included Ghana in its Solidarity and Priority
Zone (ZSP) that implied increased bilateral support for Ghana. He said the
investment of Societie Generale of France as a majority shareholder in SSS Bank
would undoubtedly send positive signals to the French business community as a
whole.
President Kufuor said
the activities of the Chamber should therefore, complement government's efforts
at creating investment opportunities in the two key sectors; industry and
agriculture for both French and Ghanaian commercial interests.
President Kufuor
commended the Chamber for its programme to establish a French language training
programme for its members, the publication of business and financial directives
for members and the opening of a documentation centre in Accra for the
Organisation for the Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa (OHADA).
He said the
initiative could create more private sector investment opportunities not only
between France and Ghana but also with neighbouring countries in the West
African Sub-Region.
Jean-Michel Berrit,
French Ambassador in Ghana, said France assistance to Ghana had always been in
the sectors of economics, cultural and development aid, which had deepened under
the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
He said on bilateral
co-operation, France had endeavoured for the past two years to diversify her
support to the country. Berrit said France as a result had began projects in
new fields of partnership in agriculture, research and the mass media.
He said the stocks of
France investments in Ghana's economy amounted to about 80 million Euros and
this was being increased due to the establishment in Ghana of the Societe
Generale as a majority shareholder in the SSB bank.
He said La Compagnie
Fruitiere, the World's largest exporter of fresh fruits had decided to produce
fruits in Ghana for export. Berrit said Ghana, was the 106th client of France
and imports of French products were mainly in the sectors of equipment and
agro-products.
Ghana's exports to
France amounted globally to 138 million Euros, last year with a trade balance
favourable to Ghana. He said Ghana was the 81st products supplier to France,
and exports of Ghanaian products to France were mainly in the sectors of
agricultural products and timber.
Berrit pledged that
France would co-operate with the government in its determination to promote the
teaching of French in Training Colleges and schools in Ghana. He said the
Chamber had an important role to play in the development of economic and
commercial relations between France and Ghana, as well as an instrument for
regional economic integration.
The French Ambassador
said the implementation of a successful regional co-operation through business
depended on the ability to establish links and networks between African
companies by overcoming language and cultural barriers.
He said the Chamber
in the Sub-Region had a main role to play in such a project. Berrit said France
would host this year's G8 Summit meeting in Evian, France and would use the
occasion to make Africa a priority on the agenda of the meeting and submit
several proposals in favour of Africa about international trade and
agricultural development.
"If adopted
those proposals will make Ghana trade and agriculture easier and reduce
inequalities", He added. Miss Joyce Darko, President of the Chamber, said
the seminar organised on Friday, 28 March and the Gala night, were to provide a
forum for businessmen from various countries in the Sub-Region to interact and
contribute to the economic development of the Sub-Region.
She said it was
necessary for countries within the Sub-Region to diversify and expand their
interests to other countries. Both events were attended by participants from
Togo, Cote D'Ivoire and Nigeria.
The Chamber was
formed in 1999 when members of the Club Lutece decided to transform it into a
Chamber of Commerce in order to better achieve their objectives. The Club
Lutece was made up of a group of Ghanaian and French businessmen who came
together to promote business relations between their countries.
The main objective of
the Chamber is to promote commercial relations between Ghana and France and in
order to achieve this goal, the Chamber sought to organise activities that
provide each country with an opportunity to better the other and what it has to
offer.
Ghanaian musician
Amandzeba Nat Brew, the Pan-African Orchestra and the Malian musician Salif
Keita, entertained the audience and there was also a fashion show by Woodin
Enterprise.
GRi.../
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Tarkwa (Western
Region) 31 March 2003- A total of 30.16 billion cedis worth of gold weighing
423.8 kilograms was purchased by Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC)
from Small-Scale Miners in Wassa West District alone in 2002.
Clement Eledi, Deputy
Minister of Mines said this at an open forum at Tarkwa on Saturday as part of a
two-day visit to Wassa West District to interact with Small-Scale Miners. He
said government acknowledges the immense contribution of Small-Scale Mining to
the economy and advised the Small-Scale Miners to regularize their operations
to merit the support of the government to improve their production levels.
Eledi told the miners
to address the environmental issues relating to mining to improve the image of
mining, adding that many people regarded mining as a practice that destroys the
environment.
He said after mining,
the land should be reclaimed and planted with trees for future use. Eledi said
gold is not a renewable resource and therefore, advised the miners to adopt
alternative livelihood schemes to sustain their lives after the mining
occupation.
He said, the use of
mercury in gold recovery is very harmful to the health of both miners and
non-miners and the Ministry of Mines is in consultation with relevant agencies
to help prevent mercury from spilling into the environment.
Eledi advised them
that there is no cure for HIV/AIDS and the best way to avoid contracting it is
to abstain from indiscriminate sex or resort to condom use. Ben Ntibrey, Wassa
West District Officer, Minerals Commission appealed to government to convince
large-scale gold mining companies to cede non-minerable portions in their
concessions to small-scale mining, since most of the areas in which small scale
miners operate are within the concessions of large-scale mining companies to
avoid conflict.
He said such portions
should be prospected so that there would be geological data on small-scale
mining concession in the country. Earlier, in a welcome address, Dolly Ando,
secretary, Small-Scale Gold Miners Association, Tarkwa branch, appealed to the
government to create an annual "Gold Day" when Small-Scale Miners
would mount exhibition of gold ornaments, interact with investors and also
award them for their immense contributions to the economy of the nation.
He said one percent
of gold winnings sold to PMMC should be given to the Association to help fight
environmental degradation and mercury pollution among others.
Ando pleaded with
government to help the Association with financial support and machinery in
their operations adding, "gold business is capital intensive". The
Minister later visited small-scale mining sites at Prestea, Buoho and Kedadwen.
GRi.../
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