The Mineral Haulers Association of Ghana (MHAG) is asking government to pay its members the sum of GH₵70 million it owes them.
It said the amount represents five months of arrears owed them by the Ghana Manganese Company (GMC).
This demand was made at a press conference addressed by the executive secretary of MHAG, Prince Barry, in Accra yesterday.
The press conference addressed among other things the neglect of the interests of Ghanaian haulers by state institutions charged with ensuring the welfare of Ghanaian players in the mining sector.
The association accused the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Minerals Commission of “failing to act in the interest of the country even when ample evidence of gross violation of state laws is presented to them. “Poor monitoring and supervision of hauling activities and poor communication and regulation,” were also cited.
He accused the two institutions of failing to ensure that the right thing is done at the Ghana Manganese Company, which he said is dancing to the tune played by the Minerals Commission.
Barry accused the GMC of failing to treat Ghanaian haulers with dignity and respect, which he said was evidenced by their poor communication and abuse of haulers.
He stated that due to the indebtedness of the GMC to the haulers, they are unable to pay for their overhead costs such as fuel, bank loans, and basic operational costs.
The association accused the GMC of trying to “sabotage the work of the Ghanaian hauler so as to serve their diabolic intentions.”
They called on the government of Ghana to intervene to arrest the situation. They also appealed to the Chinese government to impress upon the mother company of the GMC, Ningxia Tianyuan Manganese Industry, to fulfill their financial obligations.
Source; thefinderonline.com