The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has announced that Birim North in the Eastern Region will host the first gold processing facility under the government’s Cooperative Mining Programme.
He said the facility will mark a major shift in the country’s mining value chain, moving away from traditional small-scale extraction methods towards more efficient and modern processing systems.
Addressing chiefs and residents of New Abirem during the launch of the Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Training Initiative at a durbar, the Minister explained that the new facility is expected to significantly improve gold recovery rates while creating sustainable employment opportunities for young people in mining communities.
“Given that Birim is a major mining hub, the first gold processing facility will be established here. We want to move away from the traditional method of washing ore by hand, which recovers only about 20 percent of the gold. With modern processing technology, recovery rates can increase to as much as 98 percent,” he said.
The initiative, according to him, is also designed to equip young people with the technical skills required to participate in the mining sector in a more responsible and structured manner.
He added that government is also pursuing a broader restructuring of the mining licensing regime, which is currently before Cabinet for consideration. When approved, he said, the reforms will empower district mining committees to play a stronger role in due diligence and the issuance of mining permits.
While the programme launch was marked by enthusiasm from sections of the community, it also came amid earlier concerns raised by some youth groups in the Birim North District.
The groups, believed to include some constituency executives and members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), had earlier expressed dissatisfaction, alleging that they were sidelined in the planning and registration process for the training initiative.
However, the Minister assured stakeholders that the concerns would be addressed, indicating that efforts were underway to integrate affected youth into the programme.
He further announced that participants would undergo a two-day skills training exercise beginning Tuesday, June 9, as part of the rollout of the initiative.
The Cooperative Mining Programme is expected to provide structured employment opportunities for youth in mining communities while promoting responsible and sustainable mining practices across the country.
