SEMINAR FOR QUARRY OPERATORS OPENED (Page 28)

18/04/08
Story: Mary Mensah
A ONE-DAY seminar to improve the operations and management of quarries in the construction sector has been organised for quarry operators and other stakeholders in the country.
The seminar, organised by SMICE International, a Ghanaian company, in collaboration with ASTEC Aggregate and Mining Group of the USA, was on the theme: “Employing Best Practices in Quarry Operations for Accelerated Infrastructure Development”.
In an address read on his behalf, the Minister of Transportation, Dr Richard Anane, said the efficient and effective operation of quarries would definitely go a long way to improve quarry operations and reduce the current high cost of bituminous surface dressing of roads.
He said adequate and reliable supply of aggregates was very crucial for the sustenance and effective implementation of government’s programme of road development and maintenance throughout the country.
Dr Anane indicated that the government attached great importance to the development and maintenance of transport infrastructure, in particular road transport, which carries between 95 and 97 per cent of both passenger and freight traffic.
He said one of the main challenges posed to the government’s road construction programme was the issue of lack of readily available chipping’s across the country for chip seal works.
He said the lack of quarries in the northern parts of the country had adversely affected the delivery of bituminous surfacing of roads.
The minister noted that even though there were a number of quarries sited in various parts of the country, they were bedevilled with numerous problems, such as obsolete equipment, and poor operational and financial management practices.
He gave the assurance that the government would continue to provide the enabling environment for companies like SMICE International and ASTEC Group to contribute their quota to the road development programme.
The Managing Director of SMICE International, Mr Shehu Wumbei, said maintenance was very crucial to the company and it also believed in giving value to the machines they sold.
The seminar, he said, was to inculcate maintenance culture in their customers and ensure that their machines were always in good shape.
The President of ASTEC Mining Group, Mr Rick Patek, said customers played a very important role in the success of every business.