By Solomon Gumah
Tamale, June 03, GNA -The Institute of Public Policy Initiatives (IPPI) has called for reforms in the country’s extractive sector, urging greater citizen engagement, transparency, and the adoption of a national Local Production Policy (LPP).
It said such a policy would help transform raw mineral extraction into inclusive industrial growth.
This was contained in a statement issued by IPPI signed by Dr Ahmed Saeed, its Executive Director, and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Tamale.
The statement underscored the urgent need for a people-centred approach to resource governance.
It raised concern over the disconnect between the wealth generated from natural resources and the persistent underdevelopment of the communities where those resources were extracted.
“The real wealth of a nation lies in its natural resources but in the capacity of its people to benefit meaningfully and equitably from them. We must place the people at the centre of governance,” it said.
The statement advocated two critical pieces of legislations, namely, a mineral extraction and resource governance framework to regulate revenue flows and ensure fair distribution of resources across national and local levels, and a LPP Framework to encourage value addition through industrial innovation and local processing before export.
It said despite the extractive sector contributing significantly to the country’s GDP, local communities continued to suffer environmental degradation, poor infrastructure, and limited participation in governance, adding that they must be urgently addressed to build trust and promote equitable development.
It called on Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies to take proactive steps in enhancing local governance including establishing or strengthening District Transparency and Accountability Platforms to make public mineral revenue data and expenditure.
It called for “Institutionalising inclusive planning and budgeting processes that involve women, youth, persons with disabilities, and traditional leaders.”
The statement called on key Ministries including Trade and Industry, Lands and Natural Resources, and Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation to back the enactment of a Local Production Policy.
It said the proposed policy should require mining companies to meet minimum local processing thresholds and promote investments in mineral research, technology transfer hubs, and vocational training systems.
GNA
Edited by Eric K. Amoh and Lydia Kukua Asamoah