9th Oct 2014 And Modern Ghana has high praise for Eritrea, with its report that that nation is getting ready to kick off its mining industry and seems determined to do it the right way. First off, the country is receiving 40% of the profits generated by its first gold/copper mine, a far cry from the often low royalty figures often paid to governments in other countries.
The country is also said to have a plan for when the mines run out. Usually, this is when the danger is greatest. Without proper safety plans in place, the mines are abandoned as they are, and become toxic reservoirs of the byproducts of the extraction process, cyanide and acid polluted water.
Eritrea is discussing plans to build a proper pond that will trap the water and cause it to evaporate without reaching the water table. In addition, Eritrea’s youth participating in the compulsory national youth program are building the mines and generating a good deal of patriotic feelings in the process.
All this sounds really good, and we look forward to seeing this carried out in totality and replicated across the continent as a model for best practice in the mining industry.