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ECONOMICS

Mensin Gold Bibiani Ltd launches income generation project in Bibiani

Mensin Gold Bibiani Ltd, a mining company in the Bibiani-Anhwaiso-Bekwai Municipality of the Western Region has on Monday, 9th August, 2018 launched an income generation programme to fight poverty and assists the unemployment youth in its operational areas to become economically self-reliance.

Date Created : 8/14/2018 9:25:33 PM : Story Author : Francis A Ghansah/Ghanadistricts.com

The initiative which is being implemented in collaboration with the Business Advisory Centre (BAC) of the Bibiani–Anhwiaso-Bekwai Municipality Assembly, is designed to create employment and improve the income of the people.

Giving the background of the project, Mr. Isaac Osei Yeboah, chairman of Resolute Foundation Advisory Panel (RFAP), a subsidiary committee of the mine, said the income generation programme was one of the four (4) Community Development Pillars that the mines focuses on. The other pillars being water & sanitation, education and community health.

He further enumerated some of the community development initiatives as the construction of mechanized borehole at Bibiani Degede, construction of a 6-unit classroom block at Donkoto-lineso and refurbishment of M/A ‘A’ Primary block that got burnt in 2016.

Others were scholarship for 10 brilliant but needy students to pursue tertiary education in 2017/2018 academic year, supply of a set of jerseys each to Bibiani Senior High School, Queens Senior High School, Presby and Community JHS, organize free medical screening for ladies in Bibiani Senior High School, among others.

For a start, 65 beneficiaries from 15 communities were shortlisted to undergo skill training in Bakery and confectionaries, welding and fabrication, auto-mechanics and vegetable farming.

On his part, Mr. Bernard Agyeman-Duah , the head of BAC said the project would provide opportunity for the beneficiaries to be nurtured and trained to enable them gain the needed skills, either to set up their own business or be employable. He hinted that as part of the packages of the programme, beneficiaries would be provided with start-up kids after the training.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Bennet Kunkyebe, the general manager of Mensin Gold expressed his happiness that the beneficiaries opted for the programme. To him the gold would definitely get finish one day but the people will still be there hence, the need to get them a sustained source of livelihood.

His worry however was that the youth who were the target group failed to take advantage of the programme.

The General Manager added that the goal was to prepare and position the beneficiaries in a way that would made them not solely dependent on the Mine for their survival. As he rightly put it ‘It will not be possible for the Mine to employ all the people in the catchment areas and therefore the need for an alternative source of livelihood’.

Mr. Kunkyebe again underscored the fact that the training was not a sequel for employment in the Mine but to provide them with the opportunity to be eligible for employment when there were opportunities.

He was however quick to add that the Mine has a local content policy and for that matter if the beneficiaries take the training seriously they have advantage of benefiting from the policy.

Inaugurating the programme, Mr. Sahid Mikail Abdul Rahmam, the Municipal Coordinating Director (MCD) and the chairman of the occasion, described the programme as very laudable and said it would significantly help to reduce the usual tension between the people and the Mines.

The MCD thus, urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously to enhance their living conditions during and after the mine-life of the company.

Mr. Rahman was of the view that population had grown and that the period where government is able to employ many people is over. He said government policy is to provide an enabling environment for private businesses to flourish and be able to absorb the ever increasing youth unemployment.

He concluded with a well-wishes message from the Municipal Chief Executive who was then out of jurisdiction saying, the assembly wants success story and would therefore not have time for those who would want to delay the programme.