afrol News, 28 April - The Guinean government has decided to end harsh rules on environment imposed on gold mining industry following the proposed submission of environmental action plan next Friday, the Guinea Minister of Mines, Mahmood Thiam, has announced.

The Minister said the government has decided to give companies a more stable operating environment and ending a spat over environmental standards, which locals had for years complained about their unfriendliness to the environment.

He said the presentation of an action plan by miners would help the government to act more responsibly and halt irregular closure of mines in the country.

The government announcement follows a series of disagreements with the gold miners about rehabilitation of land used in mining.

Mining companies have faced a number of hitches since the junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara took government, imposing strict rules in the mining industry.

Last month, the Guinean government shut down African gold mining giants, AngloGold Ashanti Ltd, after the company’s director failed to attend the meeting of mine executives aimed at resolving the mining crisis in the country. But it was later re-opened after talks with the West African nation’s military ruler, Moussa Dadis Camara.

Mr Thiam said the Environment Ministry disputed the method the miners were using to refill used land and also questioned the provisions companies had made to rehabilitate sites around the mining area.

The Siguiri area in Guinea produced 333,000 ounces of gold in 2008.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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