The people of Diang and Sambaya chiefdoms in the northern region are beneficiaries of over nine billion Leones in the form of surface rent paid to them by Chengli Mining Company.
This was in a bid to adhere to the Mines and Minerals Act of 2009, the Chengli Mining Company has paid one billion and eighty million Leones to land owners of Diang and Sambaya Chiefdoms as surface rent for operating in their communities.
The move was to ensure that the communities improve in infrastructural developments.
The people of Diang and Sambaya Chiefdoms were extremely happy with the one billion and eighty million Leones paid as surface rent by Chengli Mining Company.
The gleaming smiles on their faces showed that they were overcome with joy for receiving such a huge amount investment that would definitely improve their livelihoods.
This is the third time Chengli Mining Company is paying surface rent to communities in their mining operations.
Chief Executive Officer of the Company, Fassally Tarawally said that devoid of the many challenges their company has faced over the years, they would continue to pay the surface rent to the two chiefdoms as well as keep on building the capacity of the community people.
Government authorities that graced the occasion included the Minister of Youth Affairs Mohamed Orman Bangura, Resident Minister Northern Region Abu Abu Kamara, and Members of Parliament who were all very pleased with the great work done so far by the mining company.
In their respective short addresses, they reaffirmed government’s commitment to creating the enabling environment for private sector investment to thrive and called on the residents to work with Chengli Mining Company closely for the benefit of both the company and the host communities.
Community authorities and paramount chiefs promised the government representatives and Chengli Mining Company that they will embark on massive development projects using the amount paid to the community.
Companies like Chengli Mining pay millions of dollars a year to the government for large-scale gold mining operations.
The company has over the years helped the communities it operates with communications networks, school buildings, water supply, health centers, and the construction of chiefdom court barrays amongst many other development projects.
It is expected that the two chiefdoms will utilize the surface rent money for the growth of the communities.It is against this background that other communities in areas were mining companies are operating are calling on the government to come to their aid by ensuring that they engage mining companies operating in their areas to do what is stipulated in the Mining Act which allows them to carry out mining activities in their areas.
They maintained that it is not good for mining companies to operate without paying surface rent that is due to the community, citing Diang and Sambaya chiefdoms as very good examples of communities that are receiving what is due them in terms of surface rent.
