Chamber of Mines does not grant permits to expatriates

Accra, Sept. 20, GNA - The Ghana Chamber of Mines has said it has no hand in granting of work permits to expatriates in the mining sector. A statement signed in Accra by Ms Joyce Aryee, Chief Executive Officer, said the key actors who vetted and approved work permits for expatriates in the mining sector were the Minerals Commission and Ghana Immigration Service.

The Chamber was reacting to a statement the Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining (WACAM) issued accusing the Chamber of doing nothing about racism within the mining industry. WACAM had said Mr Harry Ferreira, an expatriate, while in the employment of Newmont Gold Ghana Limited Ahafo Mine referred to a Ghanaian worker as 'black monkey' and was subsequently forced to leave the country but had managed to sneak back to be employed by Golden Star Resources, another gold mining company.

"We wish to put on record that the Chamber has no role in granting work permits to expatriates in the mining sector. Rather the Chamber organises cross-cultural adaptation seminars for expatriates when they arrive in the country," the Chamber said in a later addressed to Mr Daniel Owusu Koranteng, Executive Director of WACAM with a copy to the Ghana News Agency on Thursday.

The Chamber said it was therefore wrong for WACAM to rope it into permit approval procedures and "smear us since you well know that the Ghana Chamber of Mines does not condone racism".

It gave the assurance that the Chamber would continue to engage all well-meaning persons to ensure a conducive mining business environment for the mutual benefit of all stakeholders.