Accra, Nov. 13, GNA – The Minerals Commission has dismissed allegations made by some civil society organisations that it has granted a mining license to a mining company to mine in the Kakum National Park in the Central Region.
A statement issued by Mr Martin Kwaku Ayisi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, in Accra, said although it received an application from the High Street Limited, a mining firm, for a license to mine in the Park, the application was outrightly rejected.
“The Commission wishes to inform the CSOs and the public that the application by High Street Limited was rejected and therefore cannot be processed or considered whatsoever.
“Consequently, the Commission has deleted the application from the online mining cadaster.
“The Commission wishes to assure the public that no mineral right whether for prospecting or mining shall be considered or granted in the Kakum National Park,” the statement said.
The Kakum National Park has an area of 145 square miles (375 square kilometres) named after the Kakum River and established in 1931 as a reserve.
The park is the most visited tourist site in Ghana located in the coastal environs of the Central Region.
It is one of the few locations in Africa with a canopy walkway, which is 350 metres long and connects seven treetops that provide access to the forest.
The park was gazetted as a national park in 1992 after a national survey of avifauna was conducted.
The park is covered with tropical forest with many distinct species of fauna, butterflies, Diana monkeys, giant bongo antelope, yellow-backed duiker and African elephant.
It is also an important Bird Area recognised by BirdLife International with the bird area fully overlapping the park.
GNA