BY Godwill Arthur Mensah
Accra, Feb. 15, GNA – Mr George Mireku Duker, a Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, has described Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the NPP Flagbearer’s policy for small-scale mining sector as a “game-changer” capable of revolutionising the mining industry.
At a media engagement in Accra, the Deputy Minister gave a detailed breakdown of Dr Bawumia’s mining policy, affirming his belief in the policy to transform the small-scale mining sector.
He explained that the strategy was anchored on two thematic areas: Ushering Ghana into a Golden age for the maximisation of the benefits from the country’s natural resources such as gold, lithium, bauxite.
And ensuring value addition and Ghanaian ownership through the establishment of a new paradigm in natural resource contracts.
Mr Mireku Duker stated that the 18-point policy document would ensure the formalisation, regularisation and regulatory measures for environmentally sustainable small-scale mining sector.
The Deputy Minister observed that Dr Bawumia was fully abreast of the socio-economic potential of environmentally friendly and profit-making small-scale mining sector and determined to ensure that the one million job opportunities currently providing increased exponentially.
“We will formalise, regularise and regulate environmentally sustainable small-scale mining. About one million people are engaged in small scale mining. Our goal would be to help small-scale mining companies grow 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,” he quoted Dr Bawumia’s statement.
To achieve that laudable goals, Mr Mireku Duker noted that under Dr Bawumia’s presidency, there would be a viable link within the entire value chain of the small-scale mining sector, which would enable them to 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 formalise 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 referenced Dr Bawumia’s statement.
The Deputy Minister stated that under Bawumia’s Administration, the decentralisation programme started by the Akufo-Addo-led government would continue.
The Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency will have presence in all mining districts to enable them to ensure smooth administration of mining activities in the country, Mr Mireku Duker stated.
He added that the Community Mining Scheme, which was already yielding positive results, would be scaled up to ensure its sustainability, whilst all small-scale miners would be registered with the National Small Scale Miners Association.
“We will further deepen the decentralisation of the Minerals Commission as well as Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and ensure that they are present in all mining districts,” he said.
He was of the firm belief that under Bawumia’s Administration, there would be drastic reduction in illegal mining activities with innovative ideas and policies to crackdown on irresponsible miners.
Mr Mireku Duker urged Ghanaians, particularly those in the small-scale mining sector to have absolute confidence in Dr Bawumia to protect their jobs and rid the industry of the excesses.
GNA