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Gold mining firm Imperial Heritage's licence to be revoked

By Mutala Yakubu
mining
Gold mining firm Imperial Heritage's licence to be revoked
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Gold mining company Imperial Heritage will have their licence revoked by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.


Imperial Heritage which operates in the Apaparaman Forest Reserve in the Amansie West District in the Ashanti Region will have their licenced revoked today because the company was doing bulk exploration without an operating permit.

This is according to Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Mr Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh.

He said although the Minerals Commission issued a prospecting licence to Imperial Heritage, which he duly signed in October 2018, the company was required to obtain an operating permit and permission from the Chief Inspector of Mines before doing bulk exploration of the mineral.

The firm, however, started engaging in bulk exploration without recourse to the law.

Forestry Commission officials in the Ashanti Region intervened and stopped the company from its activities in the forest reserve.

Mr Asomah-Cheremeh paid a working visit to the Apaparaman Forest Reserve yesterday January 11, 2019, to verify the activities of mining companies in the area, said the prospecting licence of the company would be revoked with immediate effect.

"I signed the prospecting licence for this company only three months ago but looking at their activities now, one can see that they are doing bulk prospecting without the right permits.

I will revoke the licence today (January 11) and ensure thorough investigation is carried out on the work that has been done.

If the investigation shows that they have not done bulk exploration, the licence will be restored, but with what I am seeing here, I do not think it will be restored," he stated.

The minister's entourage included the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Forestry, Mr Benito Owusu-Bio, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission, Mr Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, and the CEO of the Minerals Commission, Mr Kwaku Antwi-Boasiako.

Read also: ''Ban on small-scale mining was never intended to be permanent''- Akufo-Addo

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