Accra, March 17, GNA - Mr. Peter Awuah, a Principal Planning and Policy Officer of the Minerals Commission (MC) on Monday appealed to all diamond workers (labourers) in Oda and Akwatia areas to join the commission's ongoing registration exercise and be issued with Identity cards. He said the exercise would enable a team of officers from districts who visits the areas of operations of the labourers to do proper documentation of their activities. Mr Awuah, who made the appeal when he spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra said the objective of the exercise was to maintain the credibility of Ghana's diamond mining industry as well as fulfill the country's obligation under the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). He said the ID card would last for five years after which a person could apply for a new one. He said the MC's registration exercise however did not constitute the allocation of any concessions to those registered and also entirely different from the Ghana's Electoral system. He refuted certain misinformation making rounds in some of the mining communities that the personal details of those registered under the exercise would be given to the police to arrest them. He said the KPCS was an international government certification scheme set up to prevent trade in diamonds, proceeds of which are suspected of fuelling conflicts around the globe. He said Ghana could be blacklisted and her export of diamonds banned if the country did not take care to ensure that its trade in diamonds were free of conflict diamonds. Mr Awuah also noted that the Geological Survey of the United States was coming to assist the Ghanaian government map out certain areas outside the Ghana Consolidated Diamond Company (GCDC) concession for the labourers for their mining activities. He said the exercise that was started on March 4, 2008 had so far registered about 400 diamond labourers. Other areas to be covered included, Atiankama Nkwanta, Manso, Asuboa, Aboabo, Asene, Adjobue, Gyadam, Aduansa, Otwereso, Apoli and Kyimankani in the lower Birim area. Others were Akim Wenchi, Takrowase, Kusi, Pramkese, Kade, Adankrono, Boadua, Topreman, Anwaiso, Number 4 and Asubone in the Akwatia area. 17 MARCH 08
Accra, March 17, GNA - Mr. Peter Awuah, a Principal Planning and Policy Officer of the Minerals Commission (MC) on Monday appealed to all diamond workers (labourers) in Oda and Akwatia areas to join the commission's ongoing registration exercise and be issued with Identity cards. He said the exercise would enable a team of officers from districts who visits the areas of operations of the labourers to do proper documentation of their activities. Mr Awuah, who made the appeal when he spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra said the objective of the exercise was to maintain the credibility of Ghana's diamond mining industry as well as fulfill the country's obligation under the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). He said the ID card would last for five years after which a person could apply for a new one. He said the MC's registration exercise however did not constitute the allocation of any concessions to those registered and also entirely different from the Ghana's Electoral system. He refuted certain misinformation making rounds in some of the mining communities that the personal details of those registered under the exercise would be given to the police to arrest them. He said the KPCS was an international government certification scheme set up to prevent trade in diamonds, proceeds of which are suspected of fuelling conflicts around the globe. He said Ghana could be blacklisted and her export of diamonds banned if the country did not take care to ensure that its trade in diamonds were free of conflict diamonds. Mr Awuah also noted that the Geological Survey of the United States was coming to assist the Ghanaian government map out certain areas outside the Ghana Consolidated Diamond Company (GCDC) concession for the labourers for their mining activities. He said the exercise that was started on March 4, 2008 had so far registered about 400 diamond labourers. Other areas to be covered included, Atiankama Nkwanta, Manso, Asuboa, Aboabo, Asene, Adjobue, Gyadam, Aduansa, Otwereso, Apoli and Kyimankani in the lower Birim area. Others were Akim Wenchi, Takrowase, Kusi, Pramkese, Kade, Adankrono, Boadua, Topreman, Anwaiso, Number 4 and Asubone in the Akwatia area. 17 MARCH 08
