General Manager of Shandong Gold Group, the parent company of Cardinal Namdini Mining Ltd., Hang Li, has assured the government of its commitment to pour its first gold at the Namdini project in Talensi, in the Upper East Region, before the end of next year.

According to him, the company’s strategic plan has always been to pour gold by the fourth quarter of 2024, and its management in China is working with the team in Ghana to ensure that they deliver on this commitment.

The assurance comes after the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor, paid a working visit to the head office of the Shandong Gold Group in Jinan, a city in the Shandong Province of China, where he urged the company to speed up work on the construction of the mine.

Speaking at the high-level meeting, which had in attendance all the senior leadership of company, Mr. Li, who doubles as the Deputy Secretary of the Communist Party Committee, revealed that the Cardinal Namdini project is a very important project for the company.

He further stated that the company is committed to replicating its green mining practices in Ghana, to make the mine a model mine to serve as a reference point for the rest of Africa.

Moreover, Mr. Li highlighted that the company was engaging to construct an airport in Bolgatanga to ease transportation to and from the region.

He highlighted that discussions are already underway with the relevant stakeholders, and hopefully, the project will come on stream.

On his part, Mr. Jinapor revealed that Government is willing to provide all the support the company needs to ensure that gold is poured early enough next year.

He noted that the Namdini project is crucial for the country to maintain her position as the leading producer of gold on the continent.

Proposed Bolgatanga airport

Furthermore, the lands minister underscored that the impact the project will have on the economy of the northern part of the country, makes it imperative for the company to start production as soon as possible. He called on the management to give the necessary support to the team in Ghana to deliver on their promise.

Touching on the proposed airport at Bolgatanga, Mr. Jinapor said it will make the work of the Company and the transportation of gold easy and urged them to expedite action on it.

He equally called on the company to invest in other mining projects in the country, including investment in value addition, and work to become an example for Chinese investment in Ghana.

Meanwhile, Ghana’s Ambassador to China, Dr. Winfred Hammond, who was with the Minister at the meeting, lauded the commitments made by the Company. He pledged the Embassy’s unflinching support to the Company to ensure that the first gold is poured next year at the Namdini mine.

The Minister was, also accompanied by the Chairperson of the Minerals Commission Board, Hon. Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Mines and Energy, Hon. Samuel Atta-Akyea, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Mr. Martin Ayisi.

Mr Jinapor is in China, at the invitation of China’s Minister for Natural Resources, Wang Guanghua, to participate in the 25th China Mining Conference and Exhibition, to be held in Tianjin, from 26th to 28th of October, 2023.

The Conference, said to be one of the largest mining events, brings together government’s investors and other industry players to discuss developments in the mining industry, including mining investment, green and innovative mining, as well as emerging practices in the industry.

The Cardinal Namdini project, is currently at the construction stage, following a relocation of affected communities last year. It is projected that the mine will produce some 1.1 million ounces of gold in the first three (3) years, becoming the third largest mine in the country.