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Minerals House
#12 Switchback Road
Residential Area
Cantonment - Accra
GL- 060 -1131
MINERALS COMMISSION ENHANCES REGULATORY FOOTPRINTS
On September 18 2024, the Minister responsible for Lands and Natural Resources Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, MP for Damongo, officially opened the Minerals Commission newly constructed district office complex in Bibiani in the Western North Region. The chair for the occassion was Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi II, Paramount Chief of Sehwi Anhwiaso Traditional Area and President of the National House of Chiefs. The Hon. Minister, supported by the Board Chairperson and the CEO of the Commission, Hon. Barbara Oteng-Gyasi and Mr. Martin Kwaku Ayisi (Esq) among other dignitaries.
The Hon. Jinapor stated that despite the importance of this Office to the mining industry, it has been accommodated in a very small rented chamber and hall office space for more than thirty (30) years. He reiterated the fact that, this impeded the recruitment of new staff to augment the work of the office. The inadequacy of the Office became even more apparent following the internal restructuring of the Minerals Commission, which necessitated increasing services at the Regional and District Offices, such as cartography, survey, community relations, environmental protection, among others.
This is the second, after the commissioning of a similar office in Akim Oda in the Eastern Region. The Commission in the coming weeks shall officially open other newly constructed offices in Tamale in the the Northern Region, Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, Bole in the Savannah Region, Damang in the Western Region, Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region and Wa in the Upper West Region.
The new Bibiani office edifice is expected to enhance supervisory stewardship of Minerals Commission over the operations of the four large mining projects in the area; Asante Gold Corporation in Bibiani and Chirano, Ghana Bauxite Company in Awaso and Koantwi Mining Company Limited in Bibiani-Mmerewa. Also, the office will serve the thousands of licenced Artisanal Small-scale mining operations in the Bibiani mining district. This intervention will give greater impetus to decentralization of the application, issuance and management of mineral rights and the supervision of mining operations in Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai Municipality.
Construction of the office will further increase access to the services of the Minerals Commission. It will also enhance regulatory oversight and enforcement of mining laws and best practices in the area.
