The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel A. Jinapor has tasked the Minerals Development Fund (MDF) Secretariat to carry out development projects at mining communities across the country.
He said this at a meeting with the Fund’s management on Monday, where he was briefed on the action plans for the 2023 fiscal year.
Following the meeting, the minister spoke on MDF’s achievements under the Akufo-Addo administration in an interview with the media. He emphasized that MDF was critical to the government’s plans to create a sustainable and environmentally friendly mining sector.
He praised the MDF’s action plan for 2023, which included projects in health, education, alternative livelihood empowerment and general infrastructure.
Mr Jinapor noted that the projects in the 2023 action plan could only be achieved through a coordinated and collaborative effort between the Agency and the Ministry.
“The action plan is such that they are going to roll out a lot more projects in the mining communities. It is absolutely important that we carry indigenous mining communities with us because, without them, we will not have the needed stability to construct the mining industry we so wish,” he said.
He noted that MDF was established to ensure that the development gap in the mining communities was bridged, allowing the mining industry to thrive in a peaceful and incident-free environment.
“The Ministry is grateful for the work done so far and we want to commend the management and staff of the Fund for doing excellent work. The mandate and work of the MDF are so important and consequential to our efforts at constructing a responsible mining industry in the country which has regard for the environment,” he added.
On his part, Dr Norris Hammah, the Administrator for the MDF, stated that the Fund was willing to collaborate with the Ministry to achieve its goals for the 2023 calendar year and beyond.
He stated that the MDF was required by law to provide financial assistance in various forms to mining communities and that he would ensure that the Fund fulfils its mandate to the satisfaction of residents in mining communities.
Irene Wirekoaa Osei, ISD
