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The gold mining project of Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited (CNML), a Chinese large-scale gold mining firm operating in the country, was last Saturday inaugurated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The President subsequently poured the first gold by the greenfield mining firm operating in the Talensi District in the Upper East Region at the historic event.
The opencast (surface) gold mine has an initial lifespan of 15 years, with the target to excavate 150 million tonnes of ore, out of which five million ounces of gold are expected within the 15-year period.
Having already invested over $600 million in the construction and resettlement phase of the project, the inauguration of the CNML project ushered in the production phase of the mine.
Present at the inauguration were the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor; the Upper East Regional Minister, Dr Hafiz Bin Salih; the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Tong Defa; the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Shandong Gold Group, the parent company of CNML, Han Yaodong; the CEO of CNML, Zhenjiang Tang, and the Paramount Chief of the Talensi Traditional Area, Tongraan Kugbilsong Nanlebegtang.
President Akufo-Addo said the inauguration of the gold mine marked yet another milestone towards the realisation of the vision to make Ghana the mining hub of Africa, where all mining and mining-related activities, from exploration to downstream production, and from research to innovation, would be centred.
He stressed the need for the company to strictly adhere to the country’s mining regulations, with particular commitment towards protecting the integrity of the environment.
“As you commence production, the government expects that you will employ the best of mining practices and adhere to all environmental and other regulatory standards for a safe and sustainable mining operation.
I am aware that your parent company, the Shandong Gold Group, has been a global leader in key technologies for gold mining and processing, and I have no doubt that you will replicate these same standards here in Ghana,” he said.
The President commended the company for its promise to build an airport in Bolgatanga, observing that such a move would not only boost the company's mining operations, but also open up the region for development.
He assured the company that the government would provide the needed support and facilitate the process for the construction of the airport.
To ensure that residents of Talensi and the Upper East Region benefit from mining, the President urged CNML to be forthcoming with its corporate social responsibility initiatives by ensuring that they were targeted to meet the pressing needs of the people.
He emphasised the importance of the company to work closely with the chiefs and people of the area, and also deliver on its corporate social responsibility commitments.
"It cannot be right for you to post millions of dollars of profit while the owners of the lands that give you these resources suffer.
That is why the government has initiated discussions with the Ghana Chamber of Mines and other stakeholders to promulgate a legislative instrument to regulate community development agreements to ensure that these agreements truly reflect the needs of the people.
"We are hopeful that very soon, we will conclude discussions on this matter to aid in the sustainable development of mining communities”, the President said.
President Akufo-Addo said the government was fully committed to the efficient and sustainable exploitation and judicious use of natural resources for the socio-economic development of the nation.
"This is why we call on all stakeholders to work with us to harness the full potential of our mining industry for a prosperous and inclusive Ghana," he added.
Mr Jinapor described the inauguration of the company’s gold mining project as a milestone that would make northern Ghana the next frontier of the country’s mining industry.
He said as part of a proactive measure to tighten the regulatory regime for the emerging mining industry in the northern part of the country, a five-storey regional office complex was being constructed for the Minerals Commission in Tamale.
Similarly, he said, the Bolgatanga, Wa and Bole offices of the commission had been upgraded to a regional status to effectively serve the emerging large-scale mines in northern Ghana and also regulate small-scale mining.Mr Jinapor added that while efforts were being made to increase gold production in the country, strategic
were also underway to put in place the needed infrastructure to promote value addition in the mining sector.
“We have constructed and commissioned a 400-kilogramme capacity gold refinery to refine the gold we produce, and in the next couple of weeks, President Akufo-Addo will cut the sod for the commencement of work on a $450-million manganese refinery at Nsuta in the Western Region to be funded by the parent company of Ghana Manganese Company,” he said.
The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana gave an assurance that the company would play to the rules of the country’s mining industry to ensure that its operation did not pose challenges to the host communities.
He said the inauguration of the mine had taken the relationship between the two countries a notch higher.
Mr Defa said going forward, China was committed to strengthening its bilateral ties with Ghana through strategic areas of investment, including mining, agriculture, education and commerce.
