Chinese mining firm in Upper East to start production this year

Shaanxi Mining Company Limited, a subsidiary of China Gold Resources Group Company Limited is supporting two small scale firms in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region to start production this year, 2013.

Shaanxi is providing technical support services to the two companies - Yenyeya Small Scale Mining Group and Porbotaaba Small Scale Mining Group

The Company together with the two scale mining groups over the years had been doing prospecting of mineral deposits in the area.

The Managing Director of the Yenyeya Small Scale Mining Group, Mr. Charles Ndanbon, who told the GNA in Bolgatanga, indicated that the company employed 300 people at the prospecting stages. He said when fully operationalized, it would employ about 1,000 workers.

Mr. Ndanbon, who is also the Deputy National Task Force Coordinator for Small Scale Mining Association of Ghana (SSMAG), stated that “the Company which has secured all the legal documents concerning mining in Ghana has its process plant in place now ready for production.

“It has also built a well structured staff and office accommodation for staff including a health facility attached to it which would not only serve the staff but the entire community.”

He stated that though the company together with the mining groups had not started production it had contributed a lot to the development of the Region by donating computers to the Talensi District Assembly, Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital and had also constructed a bridge in the mining community.

He disclosed that plans were far advanced to relocate a basic school near the mining site by building a new structure for it and to also construct more boreholes for the community and to work on the road leading to the mining site to the District Capital.

“The Gbane, Datuuku, Tarkwa, Kajetia communities will benefit tremendously from these projects and I therefore entreat the traditional authorities including all the community members to cooperate with the investors to enable it brings about its intended projects to the community”.

“The current ongoing bridge project between Kajatia and Tarkwa being undertaken by the company is near completion,” he said.

He impressed upon all those small scale mining groups who had no licenses to go for it and to go into partnership with the Mining Company to offer them technical support service to enable them benefit fully.

He commended the RCC, the District Assembly and Security Agencies for working to restore peace in the area when a confrontation ensued between some aggrieved youth and the company.

He called on all stakeholders particularly the youth, elders and small scale mining groups who had issues with the company to seek redress by dialoguing with it and said it was ready to accommodate that instead of resorting to confrontations.