By Bernice Bessey
Nii Osah Mills, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources
The Commercial Quarry Operators Association has called on government to immediately halt encroachment by private developers at their excavation concessions.
According to the association, the encroachment will not only affect operations of the companies, but the health and safety of the illegal settlers. A patriot of the association, Mr. S.K Boafo, in an interview with The Chronicle stated that, the quarry industry was the bedrock of the country’s development.
He said for the country to be able to provide roads, bridges, housing and other civil infrastructure, issues affecting quarry industry must be addressed immediately, adding “government must direct its attention to the industry by not just making laws.”
A speech read for Minister for Land and Natural Resources at the opening of stakeholders’ meeting, on the encroachment of quarry sites by new settlers in Accra, yesterday revealed that government has drawn a roadmap to address the problem.
The minister said government has provided 7% of its total national revenue to empower local assemblies to tackle the menace. He said government finds the quarry industry very important, as 80% of all monies received by government are spent on constructional projects, which make use of sand and rocks.
“Sand and quarry products are, therefore, very essential for the social and economic development of the country. “Everything possible should be done to promote the business of sand winning and quarrying,” he added. The minister acknowledged that encroachment by private developers on quarry sites has led to the loss of valuable granite deposits and quarry assets, increase in cost of operations and loss of jobs.
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