Akwatia(E/R), Nov. 29, GNA - The Ministry of Lands, Forestry and Mines is to organize an educational programme for diamond dealers on Kimberley Processing at Akwatia.
This has been necessitated by the United Nations Panel of Experts report on Ghana for allegedly dealing in conflict diamonds. A letter from the Ministry to Osabarima Kofi Boateng III, Akwatiahene, to seek his assistance said 93This is in preparation for another Kimberley review visit to Ghana on February 28, 2007.
It said at the recent Kimberley Process Plenary Session in Gaborone, Botswana, Ghana was asked to institute measures to improve on her internal controls and remove weaknesses in diamond mining and marketing within three months.
The Ministry is leading a delegation made up of personnel from Minerals Commission, Mines Inspectorate Division, Geological Survey Department and Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) to participate in the programme at Akwatia.
=93It is to educate diamond dealers in Akwatia and its environs about the need for co-operation to implement the measures,=94 the letter added.
The letter said the programme would involve recording of production figures at the concession, transactions between miners, middlemen and PMMC, licensed buying agents, issuing of receipts for transaction between dealers, supervision, monitoring and control of "Belgium" diamond market at Akwatia.
It stressed the need to prohibit the purchase and sale of diamonds that did not originate from Ghana, registration of licensed diamond dealers and self-policing of trading activities at Akwatia to expose illegal issues likely to create problems for Kimberley Process Authorities in Ghana.
The letter said 93The Ministry attaches great importance to the implementation of these measures failure of which would lead to a ban by the international community on exportation of rough diamonds from Ghana.=94
