The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Honorable Samuel Abu Jinapor has participated in a major summit dubbed the International Mines Minister Summit organized by the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention.
The Member of Parliament for Damango in the Savanah Region as part of his participation in the summit marketed Ghana’s sustainable and vibrant mining industry to attract investors into the country by spiking their interest and exhorting their minds to the plethora of reasons that make Ghana a good destination for responsible mining.
As part of the summit outline, the Honorable Minister responsible for Lands and Natural Resources for Ghana, Samuel Abu Jinapor joined twenty-two other Ministers responsible for Mines and Natural Resources, other captains of the mining industry, Anglo American Associations, Euro Asia Resources Group and civil society organizations to explore and exchange knowledge on the future of the industry in the wake of the global warming and the shift towards green minerals.
The event dubbed the International Mines Ministers Summit was structured in a way that saw the ministers and other stakeholders being empaneled to address various sub-themes that fall under the main theme which is “Striking a Balance for Success: Responsible Mining and the Energy Transition”.
In his contributions to Session One of the Summit which was themed “Sharing a Path to Success: Building a Framework for Collaboration”, the Member of Parliament for Damango Constituency, Honorable Samuel Abu Jinapor espoused the far-reaching policy directives being implemented by the Ghana government.
He further underscored the strong and resilient partnership between the government and the mining companies through the Ghana Chamber of Mines and the shift from ‘digging and shipping’ and value addition that is being championed by the Ghanaian government.
Furthermore, the Honorable Samuel Abu Jinapor laid specific emphasis on the importance of strong collaborations between government and large-scale mining companies serving as the fundamental and solid rock on which the successes of a mutually beneficial and serene mining industry are done.
He also underscored the commitment of the government to responsible and sustainable mining practices, not just at the mineral discovery stage but throughout the entire value chain, describing it as “non-negotiable”.
Ghana’s Paradigm Shift Towards Mining Amidst Green Minerals
Moreover, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapr recounted the paradigm shift in Ghana’s mining policy from mere production of minerals to value addition in line with the recent Lithium agreement with Atlantic Lithium in which according to him the government ensured the establishment of a refinery plant in Ghana and the opportunity of Ghanaian ownership through listing on the Ghana Stock Exchange.
While bemoaning the relatively insignificant benefits African countries derive from their mineral resources, Honorable Jinapor advocated for an “affirmative action” that will enable host countries of these minerals to benefit more equitably from their natural resource endowment.
This policy, according to Honorable Jinapor must be deliberate, conscious, and have the interest of the host countries at the top.
In addition, the Lands and Natural Resources Minister reiterated his long-held view that African countries who take the initiative to contribute to the fight against climate change must be rewarded and incentivized to pursue that path.
While acknowledging Energy Transition as a noble and magnanimous goal, the Minister underlined the imperativeness of producers of the raw materials for clean energy benefiting significantly from the Minerals.
The various ministers who attended the highly important summit were drawn from Canada, Germany, Peru, and Finland among others.
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