Conference on mining industry opens at Tarkwa

Tarkwa (W/R) Sept.3, GNA- Vice- President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, on Thursday tasked entrepreneurs to operate as good corporate social partners, to facilitate Government's determination to promote foreign investments.

He said good corporate partnership come in various forms and begins when stakeholders have mutual trust and respect for one another. The Vice-President said this in a speech read on his behalf, by Mr Joseph Aidoo, the Regional Minister, at the opening of the international conference on Corporate Social Responsibility in the Mining Industry. He commended the mining companies, for contributing towards the fight against the HIV/Aids pandemic and expressed the hope that the fight against the disease would become a significant responsibility of employers.

The Vice-President said the human resource of any organisation was paramount to the realization of corporate objectives. He said the mining sector was provided 400 million dollars in direct foreign investments, between 2001 and 2003.

Mrs Cecilia Bannerman, Minister of Mines said corporate social responsibility was the most important feature in the mining industry worldwide, since the exploitation of mineral resources should be done in a responsible and sustainable manner.

She lauded efforts by some mining companies to establish alternative livelihood opportunities for the people. Mrs Bannerman said this would help minimise the activities of small- scale miners, popularly called "Galamsey operators", which degraded the environment.

Mr Mike Ezan, President of the Chamber of Mines said, the Chamber continued to contribute in diverse ways toward the reclamation of lands degraded through mining activities. 03 Sept.04