Gov't to Axe Rival Mineral Company, Minister Hints

The Government has declared its intention to withdraw the services of Miramex Limited Company, a private mineral marketing organisation which is competing keenly with Precious Minerals Company (PMC) in the country.

The Mines Minister, Hon. Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, dropped this hint last week when he paid a familiarization tour to PMC in Accra.

According to the minister, revelations emanating from investigations conducted so far have not encouraged the ministry to guarantee Miramex to continue its operations in the minerals market.

Adjei-Darko maintained that the company was licensed by the former government through former Finance Minister Kwame Peprah, with which there were certain discrepancies which drew the attention of the government, and resulted in the halting of the operations of the company.

Explaining further, the sector minister said the government is withdrawing the services of Miramex in accordance with the Kimberly Conference which demands certification of sale diamonds so as to avert the marketing of conflict diamonds.

'We do not want to encourage Sierra-Leone and Liberia situation in Ghana', Adjei-Darko quoted.

However, when the Chronicle contacted the Labadi-based company on phone, staff of the company told the Chronicle that they never knew anything about government intentions to abrogate their operation, adding that the managing director is out of the country on business assignment and, therefore, could not comment.