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The Minister of Environment, Science ,Technology and Innovation ,Professor Dr . Kwabena Frimpong Boateng has inaugurated community mining program in two separate districts in the Ashanti region. This brings to three, community mining projects inaugurated in the Atwima Nwabiagya South District and Atwima Mponua District with Nkawie and Nhinahin respectively as the District and Municipal capitals,all in the Ashanti Region. The program is aimed at formalizing mining activities in selected communities in the country. The program is excepted to provide employment for more than 150,000 miners who were formerly engaging in illegal mining activities in the country. According to the minister ,beneficiaries were trained by the government at the university of mines and technology at Tarkwa in the western region. The projects were executed in Nkuntin ,a Mining community in Atwima Nwabiagya South and Mpasatia- Kotokuom in Atwima Mponua District. Professor Frimpong Boateng during the event said ,the significance of the program is to the beneficiaries. He explained that ,proceeds would be used to developed the mining areas within the municipality and the district at large.He said, Municipal Chief Executives,Member of Parliament and Traditional Rulers in the mining areas are the leaders of the program who will ensure that the beneficiary communities will manage the Mining site well . He explained that ,the community mining is for the community and that the M.C.E,MP and the chiefs are the leaders of the committee established to take good care of the program to make sure that the community mining goes on well and make sure that no foreigners are involved and even allowed to buy gold . The minister assured the people that “we will mine here and refined the gold here so that the money remained in the community”. Professor Frimpong Boateng gave the people assurance that monitoring team would be put in place to educate residents on preservation of land to avoid accident and misuse of chemicals in mining The M.C.E for Atwima Nwabiagya south District,Hon. Samuel Amoah Awuku thanked the President Nana addo Akuffo Addo for opening the community mining at Atwima Nwabiaggya South to reduce unemployment rate and urge his constituents to support it. Nana Afia Agyeiwaa ii ,Queenmother for Nkuntin and Nana Okyere Karikari Apawu ii, expressed their gratitude to Nana addo led government for the program. According to them, it will create more employment within the area and also give assurance to support it .Source: Broadcastergh.com/Koola City
