By Erica Apeatua Addo
Tarkwa (W/R), Feb. 21, GNA – The Project Coordinator of Friends of the Nation (FoN), a socio-environmental advocacy Non-Governmental Organization, Mr Solomon Kusi Ampofo, has urged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) benefiting from the Mineral Development Fund (MDF) to invest in the local economy.
He said this could reduce poverty through the creation of jobs that generated income for workers in these mining communities to satisfy their basic needs.
“We believe that since mining affects the lives of the citizenry, MMDAs and leaders in mining areas should have regular meetings, document the impact of mining, and ensure they use their share of the MDF to address those challenges.
Mr Ampofo said this at Akyempim when FoN, with support from Oxfam organised a workshop for stakeholders in Tarkwa Nsuaem, Prestea Huni-Valley, Wassa Amenfi East and Ellembelle District and Municipal Assembles in the Western Region.
The workshop provided the platform for the participants to learn, share best practices, challenges and lessons learnt on the utilisation of the Minerals Revenue at the sub-national level and make proposals for the effective management of such income, to influence the review of the Mineral Development Act 2016, Act 912.
Mr Ampofo said the criteria that FoN directed each Assembly to use in their presentation included participatory processes that ensured transparency and accountability in the utilisation of the MDF.
It was to ensure that the MDF were gender and socially responsive, addressed the impact of mining, geared towards local economic development and whether there was effective monitoring and evaluations.
Mr Ampofo in a presentation, said it was realised that although all the assemblies have made good progress in terms of participation and transparent, accountable utilisation of the funds, there was little improvement on the MDF being used to address the impact of mining.
Again, there was little progress on the MDF allocation in terms of being gender responsive and socially inclusive.
There was also little provision for effective monitoring and evaluation which also provided certain gaps in the utilisation of the fund, and it was largely not geared towards local economic development, he said.
Although the assemblies were doing well in terms of having a lot of social development projects including the provision of bore holes and construction of classroom blocks, “We believe that since mining affects the lives of the people, they should improve upon the areas identified so that these communities can attain optimum benefit from the MDF,” the Project Coordinator said.
The District Coordinating Director for Ellembelle Assembly, Mr Solomon Kwaku Adje, said “Per the review of our MDF guidelines, am of the view that since the government is already supporting Persons with Disabilities from the Common Fund, we can also consider at least one per cent of our MDF allocation to support our vulnerable brothers and sisters.”
Mr Elvis Adjei Duah, the Chairperson of the Local Management Committee (LMC) for Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality, advocated for constant education for youth, vulnerable and women groups, as well as chiefs in communities affected by mining activities, to boost development of the area.
GNA