By Mariama Njie
Fafa Sanyang, Minister of Petroleum and Energy has defended Gambia Angola China Global Group (GACH) mining activities in the country as he said the company holds the country’s mining license.
He told journalists at a press conference on Tuesday: “it is important to set the record straight that GACH mining company as the holder of a mining license for the purpose of mining Heavy Mineral Concentrate along the coastal area of the Gambia, acquire the license through a competitive process with Golden Earth Gambia Ltd.”
“The GACH license was processed in accordance with the provisions of mines and quarries Act 2005, among the list of the applicants GACH Company had a better offer of 60% for royalty payment the government in comparison to Golden Earth Company Limited which offered 50% to the government, he added.
According to him, a very comprehensive EIA was carried out in the same area by Carnegie Minerals which the ministry finds befitting for all mining activities in the same area, adding NEA has legal mandate to asses any site at any time and engages the license holder on any environmental issues.
He said the components of the Heavy Mineral Concentrate are Ilmenite, Rutile and Zircon, which are minable that occur in the coastal beach complex at Sanyang, Kartong and Batokunku.
“It is important to set the record straight that GACH mining company as the holder of a mining license for the purpose of mining Heavy Mineral Concentrate along the coastal area of the Gambia, acquire the license through a competitive process with golden Earth Gambia Ltd,” he said.
Meanwhile, he added that “since the issuance of license, GACH Company has paid the amount of US$649,001.04 as royalty to the state for the shipment of 15,386.45 metric tons of Heavy Mineral Concentrate. The processed price of Heavy Mineral Concentrate by Malagen is higher than the unprocessed price of heavy mineral concentrate exported from the Gambia.”
He said there has never been a ban on Heavy Mineral Concentrate mining in the Gambia, adding that the stumbling block that prevented International Mining Companies to invest in exploration and mining of the Gambian HMC.