Former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Alhaji Inusah Fuseini says the $1million fine imposed on Maxam Ghana Limited, a mining explosives company is illegal.
According to him the law regulating the mining sector does not give the Minister the discretion to impose any amount he deemed fit.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Samuel Jinapor yesterday February 8 2022 issued a statement announcing that it has fined Maxam $1million for “regulatory breaches in respect of the Manufacture, storage and transportation of explosives for mining and other civil works”.
Samuel Jinapor said the payment of the fine is a condition precedent for the restoration Maxam’s permit to manufacture, store, supply and/or transport explosives.
The minister further indicated that Maxam had agreed to pay an extra $5million to Ghana over the next 18 months beginning 1 March 2022 at US$277,777.78 a month.
But, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini who served as Minister during the presidency of John Dramani Mahama, says the minister got his priority wrong and questioned the basis for the imposition of the fine.
He was of the opinion that the so called reports of the Minerals Commission and a three member ministerial committee cannot form the basis for any serious actions to be taken on the persons behind the disaster.
The former Lands minister said the ministry should have set up a committee of experts including explosive experts from the military to establish the causes of the disaster and identify those whose actions led to it before taking any action.
Alhaji Fuseini said the work of such a committee is not only critical to Ghana but the global mining community as there are lessons to be learnt worldwide.
He questioned the membership of the committee the minister purports to have set up and the involvement of Mr. Ben Aryee because of his status as a former employee of the Minerals Commission, an agency under the Ministry of Lands.
Story: Sena Nombo/Radiogoldlive.com
