Hight Street’s application to mine in Kakum park was rejected – Minerals Commission

The Minerals Commission has stated that the Commission completely rejected an application submitted by High Street Ghana Limited for a license to mine in the Kakum National Park and therefore the said application not given any attention whatsoever.

In a press statement signed by the chief executive officer, Mr Martin Kwaku Ayisi, the Mineral Commission says following the rejection of the application, it consequently, “deleted the application from the online mining cadastre”.

“The attention of the Minerals Commission has been drawn to publications on social media that some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the country have vehemently kicked against the attempt by a mining firm to mine in the Kakum National Park in the Central Region.

“According to the CSOs, the move follows an application by the High Street Ghana Limited to the Minerals Commission for a license to mine in the Kakum National Park. The Commission wishes to inform the CSOs and the public that the application by Hight Street Mining Company Limited was rejected and therefore cannot be processed or considered whatsoever” the Minerals Commission statement read.

“Consequently, the Commission has deleted the application from the online mining cadastre. The Commission wishes to assure the public that no mineral right whether for prospecting or mining shall be considered or granted in the Kakum National Park” the press statement further read.

Background

Some civil society organisations (CSOs) in the country on Friday, 10 November 2023, vehemently kicked against what they said was an attempt by a mining firm (High Street Ghana Limited) to mine in the Kakum National Park in the Central Region.

The application of High Street Ghana Limited, the CSOs said was among 14 applications received by the Minerals Commission from firms to mine in some forest reserves across the country.

Speaking at a stakeholder engagement on the new Regulation on Mining in Ghana’s Forest Reserves (LI 2462) 2022 on Thursday (9 November) director of Nature and Development Foundation, Mustapha Seidu warned that failure to scrap the Legislative Instrument  (LI 2462) will lead to wanton destruction of the country’s forest.

“As we speak, there are 14 more applications under different stages of consideration by the Minerals Commission including an application by High Street Ghana Limited to mine in the Kakum National Park.

“That application is under the validation stage and according to the concession map provided, it will cover about 24% of the reserve. So in all, there are about 15 forest reserves that the license will cover.”

“This LI now needs the immediate attention of all stakeholders. I dare say that we already have enough on our hands with respect to the destruction of forests by illegal miners.

“If in less than one year of coming into force of LI 2462, we are seeing this massive legal destruction of our forest, we can imagine what will happen in the next five years or decade,” Seidu said.

Source: asaaseradio.com