The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Sulemanu Koney, has indicated that the chamber represents the collective interests of companies involved in mineral exploitation, production and processing in Ghana.
He was speaking at the 4th Ghana Mining Industry Awards (GMIA) organised by the Ghana Chamber of Mines and Lindiwe Corporate Service, which coincided with the climax of the 90th Anniversary celebrations of the Ghana Chamber of Mines dubbed “A Responsible and Sustainable Mining Industry; a Partner for National Development” in Accra at the Labadi Beach Hotel, on 30th November, 2018.
According to the CEO, the 90th anniversary theme, “A Responsible and Sustainable Mining Industry, A Partner For National Development,” has run through the key activities of the Chamber throughout the year.
“As aptly described the importance of a responsible industry to our nation’s development, there is the need to be responsible in all of our endeavours in at most necessity.”
“However, this excess is greater in an industry with states as high as ours. Our members are provided by code of ethics and IG is our wish to see such traits on an industry wise scale of both the small and large scale sectors of the industry.”
The mining industry, he said, still has immense unexplored potentials to significantly create sustainable livelihoods for the people of Ghana and contribute more deeply to the socio-economic development of the country.
He said, harnessing this potential would certainly require the ingenuity, commitment and dividends of stakeholders.
The special guest of honour of the occasion, Dr. Ernest Addison, Governor of the Central Bank of Ghana, revealed that in 2017 Ghana made a total mineral export of about six billion US Dollars. And as of the end of October 2018, Ghana was on course to meeting the six billion dollar target. We are close to about 5.8 billion dollars as of October 2018,” he said.
He said, “We identified as of 2005 that the mining sector had also attracted six billion dollars in FDIs accounting for nearly 60 percent of FDI flows into the national economy. So this trend shows that mining is indeed very important not only for export but also for FDI flows.”
He noted that large-scale gold producing companies strived to adhere to the BoG’s regulation on the repatriation of receipts from the exports of commodities and has contributed significantly to the country’s macro-economic fundamentals which as has benefited the country sincerely in 2017 with the stability that was realized in the performance of the cedi.
“Ghana has swung from a country that recorded trade deficits to one that is currently recording trade surplus. “At the Bank of Ghana we are interested in the repatriation of Foreign Exchange, and we are very happy to note the improvement in the repatriation of all export earnings into the country,” he said.
On behalf of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, the Chief Director of the Ministry, Prof. Patrick Agbesinyale, indicated that the introduction of the Best Performer in Local Manufacturing of Mining Inputs category was apt, explaining that “Manufacturing is the most important aspect of local content if we want to create jobs and transform lives.”
He however indicated that, the President was very committed to promoting sustainable extraction and use of mineral resources, diversification of the economy with emphasis on the processing of raw materials and the strengthening of regulatory and institutional frameworks for the exploration and development of Ghana’s natural resources.
At the 4th Ghana Mining Industry Awards (GMIA), a former member of the Council of State and first female Minister for Mines, Madam Cecilia Bannerman and the Foundation Vice Chancellor of the University of Mines and Technology, Prof. Daniel Mireku-Gyimah, were honoured for their exemplary contribution to responsible mining practices.
Find below the category of the award and the winners
MINING COMPANY OF THE YEAR
Asanko Gold Ghana Ltd
MINING PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Mr. Alwyn Pretorius – Newmont Africa
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Noble Peter Sampson
FEMALE MINER OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Mrs. Joanna Osei Tutu Boakye
RUNNER-UP: Gifty Aframa Gandhi
BEST PERFORMER IN INNOVATION
WINNER: Asanko Gold Ghana Limited
RUNNER-UP: Abosso Goldfields Ltd
BEST PERFORMER IN CORPORATE SOCIAL INVESTMENT
WINNER: Golden Star Bogoso Prestea Limited
RUNNER-UP: AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine
BEST PERFORMER IN OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
WINNER: Gold Fields Ghana Limited, Tarkwa Mine
RUNNER-UP: Newmont Ghana Gold Ltd, Ahafo Mine
BEST PERFORMER IN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
WINNER: Gold Fields Ghana Limited, Tarkwa Mine
RUNNER-UP: Newmont Ghana Gold Ltd, Ahafo Mine
BEST PERFORMER IN LOCAL CONTENT
WINNER: Ghana Manganese Company
RUNNER-UP: Golden Star Bogoso Prestea Ltd
BEST COMPANY IN MINING EXPLORATION
WINNER: Cardinal Resources Limited
RUNNER-UP: Azumah Resources Ltd
BEST PERFORMER IN MINE SUPPLIES AND SERVICES
WINNER: Interplast Ghana Ltd.
RUNNER-UP: LOCOMS Company Ltd.
BEST PERFORMER IN LOCAL MANUFACTURING
WINNER: Interplast Ghana Ltd.
RUNNER-UP: West Africa Forgings Ltd
BEST PERFORMER IN CONTRACT MINING
WINNER: Maxmass Limited
RUNNER-UP: African Underground Mining Services
BEST MINING REPORTER
WINNER: Latif Iddrisu, JOY FM
RUNNER-UP: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo, CITI FM
COMMUNITY SAFETY BRIGADE OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Newmont Ghana Gold Limited
FINANCIAL DEAL OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Stanbic Bank Ghana Ltd
BEST GRADUATE RESEARCH
WINNER: Bagulo C. Ebito – University of Mines and Technology
BEST STUDENT INTER-MINES FIRST AID AND SAFETY ESSAY CONTEST
WINNER: Nana Ekua Asante – Golden Star Basic School
1ST RUNNER-UP: Adom K.O. Ghartey – Golden Star Basic School
2nd RUNNER-UP: Eugenia Nyarko-Boateng – Afosu CRIG Basic School
BEST FEMALE STUDENT – UNIVERSITY OF MINES AND TECHNOLOGY
Martha Boahemaa Boahene
BEST MALE STUDENT – UNIVERSITY OF MINES AND TECHNOLOGY
Theophilus Acheampong Wireko
