The Ghana Chamber of Mines has described as untenable demands by the Mine Workers Union for AngloGold Ashanti to use owner mining in its redevelopment of the Obuasi Mine.
AngloGold Ashanti recently announced that it is set to redevelop its Obuasi Mine at a cost of over 500 million dollars.
The company also indicated that it will use contract mining to outsource some aspect of the operations to other companies.
Speaking to Citi Business News on the issue, the Chief Executive of the Chamber of Mines, Sulemana Konney rebuffed that, the Mine Workers Union cannot dictate to investors on what method they can use in mining.
“This thing of waiting for investors to come and you want to dictate and determine what they do is mind boggling. We sit around the resources. There is a number of concessions around the country, rather than just sit and wait for an investor to come and then you dictate them, I think the mine workers themselves can also get involved,” he said.
Mr. Konney argued that such complains and directives do not help the mining industry, which is a major foreign exchange earner for the country.
He challenged the Mine Workers Union to get involved by going for a concession to develop it if they feel Ghanaians are being shortchanged.
“They have experts among them why can’t they attempt to get a concession and try and then develop it. They have engineers, architects and all the experts. This thing where we always want to dictate to investors must stop,” he reiterated.
Touching on the need to allow investors to work within the laws, he argued that such stands do not encourage investors to bring their funds into the country.
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By: Lawrence Segbefia/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana