Community mining to create 116,000 jobs in Manso-Nkwanta enclave

Mr. Kwaku Asomah Kyeremeh, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, together with Professor Albert Quarm, Member of Parliament (MP) for Manso-Nkwanta constituency, in the Ashanti region, have officially launched a community mining programme at Manso-Nsiana to encourage legal mining in the area.
The scheme, reserved for only Ghanaian citizens is expected to create about 116,000 direct and indirect jobs and to also reduce criminal activities within the catchment areas, especially among the youth.
Each concession of the community mining site is twenty five acres for the people living within the community.
The Minister stated that, the mining, especially small scale mining, which contributes about 37% of the total gold produce in Ghana plays a significant role in the Ghanaian economy.
He noted that community mining guided by law would ensure sustainable livelihoods for the people and protect lands and water bodies for the benefit to the citizenry and the generations unborn.
According to him, community mining is a reserve of indigenes and that foreigners can only venture in the large scale mining.
He said the activities of the miners would be properly regulated by law in order not to endanger the lives of the citizens.
Albert Quarm, the Member of Parliament for Manso-Nkwanta and member of the Board of Directors of Minerals Commission and Parliamentary Select-Committee on Lands and Environment expressed his profound gratitude to the President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo for the community mining to serve as job avenue for the teeming unemployed youth in the country and also improve revenue generation.
The MP also appealed to the Minister to release more concessions to be part of the designated sites in the Constituency to employ more youth within the district.
Mr. Nii Lamptey Olenu, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Amansie West, indicated that, about 950 individuals with 75 Associations have applied and registered to do community mining.
He commended the sector Minister and the MP for the introduction of the scheme in the area and expressed the hope that, it would serve as a source of direct and indirect employment for the residents.
In a related development, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, on behalf of the Minerals Commission, through the mining development fund, donated Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) to the district administration to help in the fight against coronavirus (COVID19).

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