Gov’t hands over 20 vehicles to Minerals Commission

The government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, yesterday handed over 20 vehicles and some equipment to the Minerals Commission to augment its fleet and improve its regulation and management capacity.

The items include 20 pickup vehicles, 10 blast monitors, 187 desktops, 68 laptops, 11 photocopiers, 19 printers and 1 back up storage devices.

The Ministry also handed over 102 UPS machines, five scanners, two plotters, three projectors and three survey equipment to the commission.

Commendation

Addressing the management and staff of the Commission in Accra, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor, commended the Commission for its current performance, and urged the officials to do more to help sanitise the mining sector.

The Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building a strong Minerals Commission capable of fostering the efficient and effective regulation and management of the utilisation of the minerals resources of the country.

Mr Jinapor disclosed that he had kept a close eye on the Commission since his assumption of office, and is impressed with the recent innovations and output.

He charged them to view the unfortunate incident at Apeate as a setback, and work hard to move the Commission to a higher notch.

“We have come under public scrutiny lately, but per my own observations, you have done very well and achieved some significant results. I am very convinced that you are doing your very best and I’m really grateful,” he said.

However, Mr Jinapor stressed the need for the Commission and the government as a whole to institute measures to prevent a repetition of the Apeate incident, adding that “the presentation of the equipment is in furtherance of that directive”.

He noted that the vehicles and other equipment would position the Commission to better discharge its mandate.

“For you to be able to do your work, you need basic equipment. What people like you need is the means of transport, which is why working in close collaboration with the Board and CEO and Minister of Finance is key. We have been able to free up some resources, which have culminated in these hardwares or equipment to the Commission,” he added.

Appreciation

For her part, the Board Chairman of the Minerals Commission, Barbara Oteng Gyasi, expressed her gratitude to the government and the sector Minister.

He added that these timely support would help the Commission to undertake its monitoring and inspectorate duties with efficiency.

She described the logistics as “important”, and implored the staff of the Commission to do their work well and protect the entire nation.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Martin Ayisi, also said the intervention by the Ministry is a product of continuous consultations.