The Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, has indicated that Chinese owned Shanxi Mining Ghana Limited will start operating as a large-scale mining company at Gbane in the Talensi District under its new name, Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited.
Shaanxi which had operated in the Talensi District for over 10 years reportedly applied for a license to operate in large-scale mining under its new name, Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited.
However, the announcement by the Regional Minister comes in the midst of a dispute between the Chinese company and one of its local partners, Yenyeya Mining Company over the takeover of concessions of small scale-miners at Gbane by Earl Group.
The dispute was taken to the court but later withdrawn with a plea for the Upper East Regional Minister to facilitate an out-of-court settlement.
But speaking to the media during an official tour of the region by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, the Regional Minister said “All of you know the problems we have had in the past in terms accidents at Gbane area. Now he [Lands and Natural resources Minister] is here and we are going to work to stop this. Now Shanxi will be moving into large scale and the reason why we are interested in this is the blame-game situation; whereby if we move into large scale now EARL they are actually going to comply with all the mining rules and for that matter the Region is going to gain and that the company that is investing is also going to gain.”
On his part, the Managing Director of Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited, Lee Ryan, said “When everything is ready we will engage the community, especially the Regional Minister, the Chiefs and sit down together to discuss the contribution of the company, mobilising funds especially from our products; and develop the community. It’s not only for one community but is for all around the Talensi because we are here for so many years.”
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHDz|Kennedy Zongbil|Ghana
