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Digitalised National Assay Laboratory to ensure efficiency in gold export
Ghana’s quest to embrace modern technology for economic progress is steadily gaining grounds as the government is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring complete success in the digital space.
In light of this, the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Dr ()Alhaji) Mahamudu Bawumia, who is instrumental in digitisation, launched the Digitalised National Assay Laboratory at the Avance Cargo Village at the Kotoka International Airport, Accra, on Wednesday, March 2, 2022.
“I am very happy to be participating in this function which ties in very well with Government’s agenda; an agenda that I have spearheaded under the auspices of His Excellency the President of the Republic, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. The goal is to streamline governance by cutting down on the human interface and making processes digital and more efficient.
“Digitisation has also made it possible to monitor in real time, gold exports passing through the National Assay Laboratory: Additionally, it has improved collation of timely data on gold export figures and revenues in order to aid national economic planning.
“As we are aware, Government is already transforming the governance of various sectors of Ghana’s economy through digitisation. Government’s digitisation drive is a key component of the overall economic strategy because the Fourth Industrial revolution is upon us and Ghana must take advantage of it if we are not to be left behind.
“There is a growing body of empirical evidence that illustrates the capacity of digital technology to create jobs, significantly boost productivity, increase income and support wealth creation,” Dr. Bawumia emphasised.
Mr. Samuel Abu Jinapor, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources also said that the ministry with its agencies since 2021, had committed to government’s digitalisation agenda to move some of its essential services online for effecient service delivery to reduce corruption and interference by middlemen.
The Managing Director of Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) Nana Akwasi Awuah stated that “since the commencement of the National Assay Programme till date, PMMC has been able to assay a total weight of gold of about 18million Ounces at an estimated total value of 27 billion United States Dallars”.
“Out of this figure the Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) accounted for 6.6million Ounces valued at 9.2 billion US Dollars representing about 40 per cent, while the large scale sector also accounted for 11.3million ounces valued at 17.9billion US Dollars,” he said.
Nana Awuah gave his full assurance to the fact that “this year PMMC shall work together with the Minerals Commission to develop a traceability system to track the chain of custody of gold dore right from the producing miner to its final destination”.
By Castro Zangina-Tong
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
