Ghana Manganese Company Closed

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, has directed the management of Ghana Manganese Company (GMC) located at Tarkwa in the Western Region to shutdown its operation. 

The shut down according to the Minister is as a result of alleged nonpayment of taxes and price manipulation between the periods of 2010 to 2017.

Mr Kwaku Asomah Cheremeh made this known at a press conference on Monday. According to him, plans have been put in place to retrieve the nonpayment of monies.

“GMCL has not shown strong commitment to value addition in particular. There are also defaults by the company in the payment of annual minerals rights fees in excess of 4 million dollars. These and several infractions give me no option as the sector Minister than to close down the operations of GMCL.

“The company is therefore instructed to stop all mining exploration and export of minerals effective 6th August 2019. The Ministry together with the Minerals Commission and other relevant stakeholders will immediately commence discussions with Ghana Manganese to resolve this and other outstanding issues in the course of the shutdown.” he said.

In July 2018, the then Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr John-Peter Amewu, indicated that the government was not going to renew the mining lease licence of GMC because the company was “flouting its mining agreement.”

Mr Amewu at then opined that the action by the GMC had the potential of depriving the country of millions of dollars in taxes and royalties.

He, therefore, instructed the management of the company to provide the Minerals Commission with full details on the pricing of ore and other minerals by the GMC.