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Business Insider
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Insider
Ghana and China trade blame as tensions rise over surging galamsey activities
A growing diplomatic row has erupted between Ghana and China over the contentious issue of illegal gold mining, locally known as galamsey, as both sides trade blame amid a surge in global gold prices and increasing environmental destruction. A diplomatic conflict has escalated between Ghana and China over illegal gold mining, known as galamsey. Ghana alleges Chinese nationals are strongly involved in illicit mining operations, while China's ambassador disputes these accusations. The issue highlights broader questions of complicity, enforcement, and the impact on Ghana-China relations. Ghana, Africa's leading gold producer, has become a hotspot for illicit mining activities, with many of the operations allegedly involving Chinese nationals. While some Ghanaians accuse Chinese actors of fuelling the crisis, China's ambassador to Ghana, Tong Defa, has rejected the notion that the problem stems solely from Chinese nationals. Chinese Ambassador rejects blame for illegal mining 'The issue did not originate from the Chinese,' Ambassador Tong stated in an interview with local media. 'Some of those who are even caught red-handed are simply migrant workers trying to make a living.' He added that Chinese nationals were unable to obtain mining licences in Ghana and were typically brought in by Ghanaians who facilitated the illegal operations. 'The perception is unfair to me, personally, and to the majority of Chinese nationals here,' Tong added. 'When I post on social media, comments often suggest that galamsey is entirely caused by China, which is a significant injustice.' His comments follow several arrests, including Chinese nationals, during government crackdowns on illegal miners. Ghana's rivers and forests under threat Illegal gold mining has wreaked havoc across Ghana's Western, Ashanti and Eastern regions. Environmentalists warn that the use of toxic chemicals has polluted major rivers and degraded fertile land through rampant deforestation and soil erosion. One of the most prominent examples of Chinese involvement is Aisha Huang, dubbed the 'Galamsey Queen.' She was sentenced in 2023 to 4½ years in prison and fined US$4,000 after returning to Ghana despite a previous deportation. China defends its broader contribution Ambassador Tong defended China's presence in Ghana, highlighting its investments in infrastructure. 'Chinese companies have built numerous buildings, roads and ports,' he said. 'Yet, do ordinary Ghanaians truly recognise these efforts, or do they consistently associate us solely with galamsey?' Ghanaian officials call for tougher measures The Administrator of Ghana's Minerals Development Fund (MDF), Hanna Louisa Bissiw, responded with a firm stance, promising zero tolerance. 'Let me be unequivocally clear: there will be no compromise on what we have to do. It's an absolute 'never',' Bissiw declared. She also noted that during a recent visit to China, officials there expressed support for Ghana's anti-galamsey efforts. Former UN senior governance adviser Baffour Agyeman-Duah said the situation suggests complicity at immigration points. 'Most of the Chinese involved appear to be rural and not highly educated,' he said. 'This implies a deliberate system is in place to recruit and move them through Ghana's borders into mining areas.' University of Ghana professor Gladys Nyarko Ansah criticised the ambassador's rationale. 'Is the ambassador saying that because some Ghanaians engage in stealing, Chinese migrants in Ghana should also engage in stealing?' she asked. Security analyst Ndubuisi Christian Ani, from the Institute for Security Studies, said Ghana must balance its respect for China with accountability. 'Ghana tends to be lenient on arrested Chinese persons involved in illegal mining, partly because of its high regard for China,' he noted. 'But criminal activities must be treated as such to avoid impunity.' As diplomatic tensions flare, the galamsey crisis underscores deeper questions of complicity, enforcement, and geopolitical ties. While both Ghanaian and Chinese actors have roles in the problem, what remains critical is whether both governments will collaborate sincerely to root out illegal mining, or continue pointing fingers as Ghana's land and water resources continue to suffer.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Southern Railway conducts mock drill at Jolarpet railway yard
The Chennai Division of Southern Railway conducted a joint cock drill at Jolarpet railway yard in Tirupattur on Saturday as part of disaster preparedness and to monitor the effectiveness of relief and rescue operations in the event of an accident. According to a press release, around 1,000 members, including personnel from Chennai Division's Safety, Civil Defence, Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP), St. John Ambulance, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Tamil Nadu Disaster Response Force (TNDRF), and Metropolitan Disaster Response Force (MDF) took part in the exercise. As part of the three-hour-mock drill, an accident scene was replicated using condemned coaches and mannequins of passengers. A Self-propelled Accident Relief Train (SPART) with doctors, paramedical staff, rescue workers, engineers and emergency tools for extricating passengers from wreckage was sent to the accident spot set up for the mock drill. The NDRF, TNDRF and MDF team rehearsed the rescue and relief operation. The exercise was monitored by senior railway officials including Ganesh, Principal Chief Safety Officer, Tej Partap Singh, Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Shri Sathiya Seelan, Senior Divisional Safety Officer, Shri B. Ramakrishna, Senior Divisional Security Commissioner. Tirupattur Collector K. Sivasoundaravalli, and Shreya Gupta, Superintendent of Police (SP), were also present, the release said.
United News of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Two inactive political outfits in Mizoram face possible d)eregistration by ECI
Aizawl, June 26 (UNI) The Election Commission of India's ongoing scrutiny of dormant political outfits has placed two Mizoram-based registered unrecognised political parties at risk of being struck off the rolls, state election department officials said today. Out of the four Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) listed from Mizoram—Mizoram People's Conference (MPC), Hmar People's Convention (HPC), Mara Democratic Front (MDF), and the People's Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram (PRISM) — two have failed to establish their operational status. Election officials confirmed that MDF and PRISM could not be located or verified during the most recent compliance review, putting them at the risk of losing their registration. The review comes in the wake of a major clean-up drive initiated by the ECI under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and fellow Election Commissioners Dr. Sukbhir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi. A press statement issued by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Mizoram noted that the ECI has identified 345 RUPPs across various states and Union Territories for non-compliance. These parties have neither participated in any election — Lok Sabha or state assemblies — since 2019, nor maintained valid office addresses. The Election Commission, through a nationwide verification effort, found that a significant number of the over 2,800 RUPPs on its records are no longer functioning as political entities. Many have not only failed to contest elections but also appear to lack physical presence or organisational structure. To ensure procedural fairness, the ECI has directed Chief Electoral Officers of all states and UTs to issue show-cause notices to the 345 defaulting RUPPs. These parties have been given an opportunity to respond before any final action is taken. The commission will decide on deregistration following this phase of explanation and verification, the press note stated. Under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, political parties—whether national, state or unrecognised—must register with the ECI in order to gain official status and qualify for various entitlements, including income tax exemptions. The press note added that only parties maintaining a minimal level of political activity and transparency should continue to enjoy these privileges. In Mizoram's context, the likely loss of registration by MDF and PRISM would mark the end of their official political journey, unless they can provide credible proof of continued activity. The ECI's move signals a tightening of standards in India's electoral landscape, aiming to uphold a more accountable and streamlined political registry. UNI XC SSP
Business Recorder
12-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Seafood export target set at $450m, minister told
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Maritimes Affairs has set seafood export target at $450 million this year and a non-tax revenue target of Rs 250 million within next three years. This was told by Marine Fisheries Department (MDF) Director General (DG) Dr Mansoor Ali Wasan to the Federal Minister for Maritimes Affairs Junaid Akbar Chaudhary. The DG MDF said that his department has initiated establishing a fisheries dialogue, research centre, revamping the fisheries training center to conduct 300 training sessions over three years and reactivating four laboratories to achieve the targets. Pakistan's seafood exports from July to May (2020-24) stood at $383.088 million; an increase from $373.382 million recorded during the same period in 2019-23. This reflects a year-on-year growth rate of approximately 2.6 percent, despite global economic challenges and fluctuating trade patterns. He added Pakistan is endowed with immense fishing potential, thanks to our 1,000-kilometre-long coastline, diverse aquatic species, and favourable climatic conditions. China has emerged as a pivotal partner in our seafood trade, accounting for a substantial portion of our exports. Pakistan's seafood exports reached $410.268 million in fiscal year 2023-24, a decrease of 17.4 percent compared to the record high of $496.6 million in the 2022-23 fiscal year. DrWasan informed the maritime minister that stakeholders in fisheries, such as fishermen, exporters, and crew members will receive training at the Fisheries Research Centre. The minister urged KoFHA to accelerate the Pak Aqua public-private venture to enhance trade by leveraging private sector investment for facility modernisation and operational efficiency. The minister emphasised the importance of climate-resilient infrastructure in a new maritime strategy, aiming to modernise ports, reduce environmental impact, and boost economic growth. In a series of high-level meetings, the minister reviewed progress across key maritime institutions, including the Port Qasim Authority (PQA), Karachi Port Trust (KPT), Korangi Fisheries Harbour Authority (KoFHA), and the Marine Fisheries Department (MFD), emphasising environmental sustainability. The minister assessed the implementation of PQA's 10-year development plan focused on increasing cargo handling capacity and modernising infrastructure to establish the port as a regional maritime logistics hub. Junaid Anwar Chaudhry also evaluated KPT's reform strategy emphasising governance, human capital, operational modernisation, financial sustainability, stakeholder engagement, and service delivery. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Time of India
08-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Tamil Nadu sees Blue Economy as a powerful tool to bring sustainable prosperity to coastal districts
Of late, there has been a growing buzz around the blue economy in Tamil Nadu power corridors. The phrase implies economic activities associated with the ocean, seas and coastal regions, which includes shipbuilding, processing and exporting of seafood, and coastal tourism. Tamil Nadu boasts of having the second longest coastline in India (after Gujarat). But the resource hasn't been tapped to a satisfactory extent. And that is something the TN govt is out to fix. "As TN charts its course towards our CM's (M K Stalin) ambition of a $1 trillion economy, the Blue Economy presents some of the most exciting opportunities. Despite having the second longest coastline in India, we believe our coast is still underutilized from an economic standpoint. This is something we are now addressing with urgency through a vision laid out by our CM," said T R B Rajaa, TN Minister for Industries. "We see the Blue Economy as a powerful tool to bring sustainable prosperity to our coastal districts, through investments that create large job opportunities for both skilled and semi-skilled talents," he added. The state's approach is strategic and focused on three key areas – shipbuilding, seafood processing and coastal tourism. Each of these has the potential to dramatically transform livelihoods and local economies. "The key strategy is maximizing the potential of TN's long coastline. Besides the focus areas, we could tap the state's port facilities spread across its coast. Shipbuilding is an area that has drawn the attention of the Centre as well. The Centre has ambitious plans to be part of the top five shipbuilding nations by 2047. In February, during the Union Budget 2025, a key maritime sector announcement was regarding the establishment of the ₹25,000 crore Maritime Development Fund (MDF) to support long-term investments in the sector. The other big ticket takeaway was the introduction of the revamped Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy (SBFAP 2.0) to encourage more participation in shipbuilding activities. With an improved outlay of ₹18,090 crore, this policy is aimed at strengthening domestic shipyards and enhancing their global competitiveness. Tamil Nadu is also working on a Marine Transport policy which could be out in a month, and this could generate a lot of economic opportunities," said Darez Ahamed, MD & CEO, Guidance Tamil Nadu. To understand the potential offered by shipbuilding - consider that just one anchor investor can unlock an entire value chain of MSMEs in welding, precision engineering, logistics and marine services. The state has already initiated talks with global players to set up shipbuilding facilities in TN. As per sources, the order books of these international operators are packed till 2032. On its part, the state must provide the infrastructure needed to help them to establish their units here. For every job created inside the shopfloor of a shipbuilding company, seven jobs will be created outside. That's the potential it offers, say stakeholders. In the seafood sector, TN is no longer content with being just a supplier of raw catch. The game plan now is to build end-to-end infrastructure for seafood processing, cold chains and export-quality packaging, ensuring that value addition happens right here in the state's fishing hamlets, creating better incomes and sustainable livelihoods for the coastal communities. Infrastructure, especially roads connecting the coastal belt, cold chains along the TN coast, availability of power for these cold chains, mapping the wasteland on the coast, utilizing it adequately for growth of marine food and processing industries, are some of the key areas TN should focus on, said a leading consultant for the marine food industry, on condition of anonymity. "We will be addressing all the issues that have been holding back the growth of the seafood industry in Tamil Nadu, vis-a-vis neighbouring states including Andhra Pradesh, which accounts for Rs 26,000 crore worth seafood exports as against TN's Rs 8,000 crore. We would soon match the best performing states in this sector," a TN govt official said. Coastal tourism is a major plus point. Tamil Nadu's coast is beautiful, diverse and rich in culture, but it remains largely unexplored. The state is developing a blueprint to unlock this through sustainable, community-led tourism, which will entail eco-friendly resorts, avenues for water-based recreational activities and support for local entrepreneurship. The aim is to make the coast a world-class destination; while keeping it rooted in tradition. "To ensure this transformation is inclusive, we plan to skill the youth in coastal regions through initiatives under the Naan Mudhalvan programme. We want our coastal communities to be more than beneficiaries. They must be the driving force behind this change. Tamil Nadu's Blue Economy strategy is also about building a just, green and resilient future for our coastal communities, and we are committed to making it a reality," Rajaa said. So, of the three segments that have got the special focus under the Blue Economy strategy, which one might get a head start? "We would like all three to take off big-time, since the opportunities are significant. But realistically, the first shipbuilding could take off in just about a year from now," says Guidance Tamil Nadu's Ahamed. That's just on the horizon.
