Koidu Limited, the Israeli billionaire Beny Steinmetz’ company mining for diamonds in Kono District, has built only 285 houses out of a total of 873 houses that it should build to settle families affected by its mining operation, Ibrahim Satti Kamara, director of communication stated in an email to Awoko. This email is a report on the visit of Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray Minister of Mines and the Director General of the National Mineral Agency Sahr Wonday to Koidu City a week ago.
Minister Mansaray while in the conference hall of the company’s site office said that the company needs to build more houses as 588 households continue to suffer from its operation. The minister also asked that the company provide training and have Sierra Leoneans in executive positions. He also stressed that Sierra Leoneans be appointed to head senior management positions in the company.
The company is currently doing underground mining. The underground tunnel is 280 metres below sea level, Mr Kamara stated in the report.
Minister Mansaray stated that 30 percent of the fuel utilized by the company is supplied by foreign companies and the National Petroleum company supplies only 33 percent of fuel used.
The company is pursuing $150m for the expansion of the mine, doing open pit mine and transitioning to a 12 year underground mining operation and expanding the underground mine.
Monday January 23, 2017
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