The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources responsible for Mines, George Mireku Duker, has elaborated extensively on the policy strategy of the Vice President and Presidential aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, for the small-scale mining sector, describing it as a groundbreaking strategy capable of revolutionizing Ghana’s mining industry entirely.
Addressing journalists at a press engagement on Tuesday, February 13, Mr. Mireku Duker gave a detailed breakdown of Dr Bawumia’s mining policy, affirming his belief in the potential of the policy to transform the mining sector, particularly the small-scale mining sector.
He explained that the strategy is anchored on two thematic areas which are “ushering Ghana into a Golden age for the maximization of the benefits from our natural resources like gold, lithium, bauxite, and so on. The key to doing this is value addition and Ghanaian ownership; and establishing a new paradigm in natural resource contracts“.
He stated that the 18-point policy document will ensure the formalization, regularization and regulation of environmentally sustainable small-scale mining to guarantee the growth and expansion of the sector.
The Member of Parliament for Tarkwa-Nsuaem observed that Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is fully abreast with the socio-economic potential of environment-friendly and profit-making small-scale mining sector and is determined to ensure that the one million job opportunities currently provided by the sector is increased exponentially.
“We will formalize, regularize and regulate environmentally sustainable small-scale mining. About one million people are engaged in small-scale mining. Our goal would be to help grow small-scale mining companies into large-scale companies with capacity building and assisting them to access financing to acquire equipment. We can create many millionaires in the small-scale mining industry if we support them.”
To achieve this laudable objective, Mr. Mireku Duker noted that a government led by the Vice President Bawumia will create a viable link within the entire value chain of the small-scale mining sector which will enable them sell their gold to the Bank of Ghana and be part of the gold reserves of the central bank.
“We will support the Minerals Commission and key stakeholders to formalize the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) sector with the objective of ensuring that the activities of the entire value chain are sustainably and responsibly done so that most of the gold produced by this sector can be sold to the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and be eligible to be part of the gold reserves of the central bank.”
He said that the Bawumia administration will continue the decentralization programme embarked upon by the Akufo-Addo government relative to the Minerals Commission and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that the two institutions will have presence in all mining districts to enable the smooth administration of mining activities in the country.
He added that the Community Mining Scheme, which is already yielding positive results, will be scaled up to ensure its sustainability and also all small-scale miners will be registered with the National Small Scale Miners Association.
“We will further deepen the decentralization of the Minerals Commission as well as Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and ensure that they are present in all mining districts.”
He assured that Dr Bawumia’s administration will drastically reduce illegal mining activities with innovative ideas and policies and also crack the whip on recalcitrant miners without fear or favor.
He urged Ghanaians, particularly those in the small-scale mining sector, to have absolute confidence in Dr Bawumia to protect their jobs and also rid their industry of the excesses crippling it and the country at large.
On her part, the Deputy Information Minister, Fatimatu Abubakari, corroborated the Deputy Lands Minister’s statement, emphasizing that efforts by the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry will help create jobs for the youth in the mining sector and promote knowledge transformation.
She also said the Community Mining Scheme will also benefit many people within the various catchment communities.
By Laud Nartey
