Accra, Sept. 26, GNA – Government is set to introduce a medium-scale mining scheme as part of efforts to formalise the small-scale mining sector and ensure responsible use of mining equipment.
Mr Yussif Sulemana, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, said the initiative formed part of a new policy direction to regulate the industry and provide a clear pathway from small-scale to large-scale mining.
“As it stands now, there is no medium-scale mining in Ghana. What we see today is that small-scale miners, who are not supposed to use heavy equipment, are rather using excavators and other machinery. We need to call a spade a spade,” he said.
The Deputy Minister was delivering the keynote address at the 11th West and Central Africa Mining Summit on Thursday in Accra.
The Summit brought together industry players to deliberate on sustainable mining strategies in the subregion.
He explained that the new scheme would properly categorise operators, with artisanal miners confined to rudimentary tools, medium-scale miners permitted to use heavy equipment under strict regulations, and large-scale operations continuing under existing frameworks.
The Deputy Minister said a budget had been presented to the Ministry of Finance to support the rollout of the scheme within the tenure of President John Mahama’s administration.
On the possibility of declaring a state of emergency, Mr Sulemana offered nuanced arguments.
He said that to resort to a state of emergency meant a situation was beyond ordinary rule of law measures — a “last resort.”
Mr Sulemana said calls were made earlier for such a declaration because the government had failed to put suitable measures in place to tackle the menace.
But now, with policies, security architectures, and legal frameworks being deployed, a state of emergency was not necessary, but remained on the table if circumstances deteriorated.
“The previous administration, some of us had said that there was a need for a state of emergency. We don’t run away from it because we thought that they hadn’t put in place the appropriate measures to be able to resolve the matter.”
“Now we have come, and with all due respect, the records are there to show, and I’m telling you that we lost nine forest reserves, but the story is different today. So if somebody was saying that declare state of emergency because we’re losing nine forest reserves, and today those nine forest reserves have been returned, the situation is not the same.”
“If we get to a point where we think that that is not working, I’m not sure the President would want to run away from declaring state of emergency. When we get there, we will do it. But we have put in place mechanisms, we have put in place pragmatic policies to ensure that we are able to win this battle,” he argued.
Madam Maggie Tan, Chief Executive Officer of Magenta Global, organisers of the summit, said formalisation of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) had become one of the most pressing issues in the sub-region.
She noted that while Ghana remained a strong and emerging player in the global mining market, policies such as the medium-scale mining scheme would be vital in ensuring that the sector generated revenue responsibly and translated benefits to local communities.
“The issue of governance around artisanal and small-scale mining has become both a political and economic issue. We are happy that Ghana is moving in the direction of creating a structured pathway, because this is how you sustain the industry and ensure that communities benefit,” she said.
GNA
Christian Akorlie