Betterland Ghana, a 100 % Ghanaian owned large scale mining company is forecasting first quarter of 2025 to begin commercial mining activities on a 62 square land concession it has acquired in the Gwira Banso forest in the Western region.
Currently, the company is undertaking pre-mining activities in the forest after Forestry Commission (FC) granted it entry permit.
At a recent engagement with the media, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Isaac Osei, said his outfit went through due process to legally and legitimately acquire the concession.
“We have full entry permit to undertake pre-mining activities. So it is important we let the media know and understand”.
This is not the first time that a permit has been granted to enter an unrestricted forest reserve to undertake mining, CEO Isaac Osei told the media.
“Forestry Commission (FC) took us through a rigorous process before eventually granting us permit. FC will not grant permit when our mining activities is disastrous to the environment”.
According to Mr Osei, it took Betterland Ghana over a year before the FC granted it pre-mining permit.
CEO Osei called on the media and general public to support his company because it is an indigenous one. The media should, however, not desist from offering constructive criticisms if it does something wrong.
“I can tell you Betterland is 100% owned by Ghanaian Business men and I am one of the shareholders,” he said.
He admitted the company had no track record in mining and that the Gwira Banso concession was their first mining project.
“We know if we get it wrong our resource will go down the drain. That is why we have gathered the best brain behind the project”.
He, however, contended that the company should not necessarily have track record in mining before undertaking the project.
Project Manager of Betterland GH, David William Alan Thomas, on his part indicated to the media that the company would undertake both mining and reclamation exercises.
He mentioned the depleted Apamprama Forest in the Ashanti region as a project they have embarked upon to reclaim the destroyed land.
“As we speak, we have reclaimed the destroyed 10 hectare land by planting various species of trees on the land”.
Forestry Commission, satisfied with the extent of the reclamation, added another 22 hectares of the same destroyed Apamprama land and same have been reclaimed beautifully.
With experience in reclamation, Project Manager Alan Thomas assured the media it would reclaim the 62 square land Gwira Banso concession when it commences commercial mining next year.
