The Minerals Commission Board in a group photograph with former President J.A. Kufuor
FORMER
PRESIDENT J.A. Kufuor has urged the Minerals Commission Board under the
chairmanship of Mr S.K. Boafo to deepen Ghana’s mining industry local content
by developing Ghanaians in the sector to become billionaires.
“As a
country, it behoves us to make deliberate and conscious efforts at developing
our own to become billionaires and the mining sector especially is where the
prospects are for now. I therefore implore you to look beyond the local content
policy of employment creation and fashion out new policies that will develop
and grow Ghanaians to become owners of giant mines in the country,” the former President
said.
Mr Kufuor made
the remarks when the Minerals Commission Board paid a courtesy call on him at
his residence.
On the
illegal mining (galamsey) menace still prevailing in the country despite
government’s efforts at stemming the practice, the former President advised
that a national forum should be held with the President in attendance to
sensitize the entire nation to the extent of devastation the illegal mining has
brought to bear on the country’s environment as well as its consequences on the
generation yet unborn should this continue.
He further
called for a second look at using the ‘stick approach’ criminalization as a
first option of dealing with the illegal mining issues and rather adopt
policies and initiatives that would appropriately deal with the problem.
He proposed
that the Minerals Commission should explore further the mining concession
‘blocked out areas’ concept where interested small-scale miners are registered
as cooperatives/groups and licenced within the concession area. This way, their
activities can be checked and monitored according to the mining compliance and
best practices, the former President noted.
On his part,
Mr S. K. Boafo was grateful to Mr Kufuor for the opportunity offered the board
to pay him a courtesy call and most importantly for his wise counsel.
He said, “Ghana
was recently ranked the No. 1 producer of Gold in Africa. Also, prospecting
activity is currently underway in the Central Region around Saltpond and
Mankessim for commercial find of Lithium,
a mineral which is expected to play a key role in the world’s energy transition
because of the innovative research and discoveries into its use in the
production of batteries for electrical vehicles and equipment, as well as
strengthen the policy to diversify Ghana’s minerals production base, among others.”
The board chairman indicated that the commission in collaboration with the sector ministry and the Inter Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) are already working on a community mining programme concept that would bring small-scale miners under a “blocked out” concession area in line with the former President’s advice so that they could be properly monitored to mine responsibly and be easily regulated.
A business desk report
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