The Mawerehene for the Asantehene, Baffour Hyeaman Brantuo, has advocated for a gold refinery in the Ashanti Region to help in processing the gold before it is exported.
According to him, this will bring more revenue into the country, and also create jobs, instead of the current system where gold is exported in its raw state.
At a press conference in Kumasi on Sunday, Baffour Brantuo said he was hopeful that the one-district, one-factory initiative by government would make this idea a reality as he cited Tepa as his ideal location.
“It is our belief that if the gold in Asanteman is not exported raw but refined, one can be sure that there will be a lot of benefits to the people of the region and I am working with the Tepahene to set up a refinery in Tepa.”
“I know that once we refine our gold, the source of gold will become important and for that reason, if your source is not a legal source, you cannot send gold for refinement and then for export. There is a lot of work to be created with this idea of one-district, one-factory. It is part of the agenda that is in this new city,” the Mawerehene said.
Ghana has mined gold for decades, but has failed to add value to the raw material, as the commodity is exported and refined outside, and sold back to Ghanaians at high cost.
The country has also failed to develop areas where the minerals are mined, despite the huge taxes government earns from the mining firms.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
