The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. George Mireku Duker, has charged the staff and management of the Minerals Development Fund (MDF) to make their impact felt in Ghana, especially in the various mining communities across the country.
He said it is important Ghanaians benefit from the inflow of revenue from the Minerals Development Fund expecially what is detailed to the fund from the Minerals Income Investment Fund.
He stressed that it is very important they decentralise the inflows of the revenue for mining communities to be developed, especially those in Tarkwa as the town hosts about 60% of Ghana’s Gold threshold.
“With all these Gold, our people would want to see tangible projects that in the future we can say we got them out of the Gold proceeds. And if the indigenes of our country expecially those from the mining communities are going to be proud of something that we can show, much will depend on MDF”
The Deputy Minister said this when he paid a working visit to the Minerals Development Fund office on Friday, 28th January, 2022, to on behalf of the Sector Minister, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, familiarise himself with staff and management and also to ascertain their level of operations in the new year.
He said the onus behoves of them to ensure the implementation of various projects in mining communities in the districts as the MDF was established purposely to develop these Mining communities.
” it is your duty to supervise tangible projects for Ghanaians to witness and for Ghanaians to benefit”
Hon. Duker also used the platform to admonish the various local committees to be mindful of the revenues they receive and use them judiciously, cautioning that they engage opinion leaders and indigenes of the communities to ensure that projects embarked on are relevant and of outmost need to the people.
He highly commended the staff and management of the Minerals Development Fund for their work done so far commenting that he is impressed with the edifice and how their set up is well organised.
Hon. Duker also called on other agencies under the mining sector to work together and equally contribute their quota to developing mining communities as they all derive their revenue from the Minerals Income Investment Fund.
He advised that they must also find a way of tracking and monitoring wether or not the monies given are used for the intended purposes and also track the projects embarked on in the various districts.
The Deputy Minister’s visit is the first of many that he will be embarking on to the various agencies under the mining sector of the Ministry.
The Administrator for the Minerals Development Fund (MDF) Dr. Norris Hammah who welcomed the Hon. Deputy Minister, applauded him for his enormous contribution in the completion of their work space.
He gave a detailed presentation on their mandate and work plan for the year (2022) while assuring him that all the policy directives given will be followed through to the latter.
In his presentation he made mention of some projects that the Fund has undertaken in various districts, which he said includes the Construction of community Centre at Tamso- Tarkwa, a 3 unit classroom block with office and ICT Centre at Ellembelle Chip Compound in Wassa, a 12 Seater water closet toilets at Wamase Akrofuom.
The administrator also disclosed that the MDF has provided direct funding for the construction of ten (10) Infrastructure projects on the campuses of the University of Ghana, Legon and University of Mines and Technology (UMaT).
