Accra, Sept. 30, GNA - Mrs Cecilia Bannerman, Minister of Mines, on Thursday said the government had strong interest in exploiting bauxite, iron ore, granite and other minerals and also looking at how value could be added to these minerals.

She said feasibility studies showed that limestone was in abundance in Buipe in the Northern Region and needed to be exploited.

Mrs Bannerman said the mining industry could get a boost if it had refineries, adding that Ghana could then be in the position to serve the West Africa Sub-Region.

Mrs Bannerman said government was committed to creating an enabling environment that would attract investors into the mining industry as it was in line with government's determination to help develop the private sector that was considered the engine of growth.

Mrs Bannerman said this when Mr Jon Richardson, new Australian Ambassador to Ghana, called on her to find areas in which the two countries could strengthen their cooperation and also to know how Australian mining companies were faring.

She commended three Australian mining companies operating in the country for performing very well.

The companies are the Ghana-Australian Goldfields Limited, Red Back Mining (Gh) Ltd and Aboso Goldfields, which the Minister said were ensuring good community relationship in their areas of operation. Mrs Bannerman said other Australian mining companies - Leo Shield Exploration Limited, African Gold Properties Limited and Resolute Amansie Limited - were currently carrying out exploration to assess the length of time they could continue operation.