220,000 tonnes of bauxite locked up

Awaso (W/R), July 21, GNA - About 220,000 tonnes of bauxite valued at 1.5 million dollars had been locked up at the Ghana Bauxite Company (GBC) at Awaso due to the difficulty in transporting it to the Takoradi harbour.

This has compelled the Company to re-schedule its production in order not to tie up any further money in the stockpile. Mr James Lemaire, General Manager Mines, GBC, made these known at the start of a two-day Executive Council meeting of the Ghana Mine Workers Union at Awaso on Thursday.

He said to help improve the situation, they were now working more closely than before with the Ghana Railways Company (GRC). Currently, a section of the rail track covering a distance of 66 miles is receiving maintenance through the help of the GBC. Besides, they have entered into major contracts with road haulers and that already one of them has started transporting 10,000 tonnes of bauxite from the mine to the port every month.

Mr Lemaire said the volume would be increased to 15,000 tonnes by September, adding that the second contractor who would begin work in that same September would, on his part, haul a minimum of 15,000 tonnes.

He said the 65 year-old mine was very much alive to its social responsibility and that it has just released 80 million cedis to support the provision of potable water for the people of the Awaso community.

The General Manager also spoke of their commitment to the goal of protecting the environment as well as the safety and health of its employees and the community within which it was operating.