The government will organize a National Consultative Forum on Wednesday, April 14, to discuss new ideas and suggestions towards regulating and sanitizing the small-scale mining industry in Ghana.

The forum will be a two-day roundtable discussion on challenges confronting the small-scale mining sector and possible solutions. It will bring together key mining experts, the Small-Scale Mining Association, the Coalition of Civil Society Against Illegal Small-Scale Mining, among others.

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, made the announcement during a staff durbar at the Minerals Commission’s headquarters in Accra.

He expressed hope that the consultative dialogue would result in a national consensus free of partisan politics in dealing with galamsey. He said a committee had been formed to collect all memos, proposals, and recommendations on the best strategies and methods for dealing with galamsey from individuals and organizations.

Moreover, the Minister admitted that a consultative forum might not be a sufficient platform to resolving the illegal small-scale mining challenge. It would, however, be a good avenue to embrace all shades of ideas in order to take a multi-faceted approach to eradicating the menace. The consultative forum’s recommendations will inform the Akufo-Addo-led government’s policy interventions in dealing with galamsey, he said.

Furthermore, the Minister recounted some successes chalked by the Akufo-Addo-led government in its first term towards curbing illegal mining small-scale. They are the training of illegal small-scale miners, introduction of community mining scheme, and legislative framework in tackling galamsey.

Making Ghana’s Mining Industry an investment hub in Africa

The Minister urged the mineral commission to support the government to make Ghana the mining investment hub of Africa. He entreated the Commission’s management to decentralise its operations and services like the acquisition of mining licences and permits. Mr Jinapor added that this would help bring sanity into the small-scale mining industry.

He also appealed to the Commission to join forces with his ministry in solving the challenges confronting the mining sector.

“The President expects results from all of us, we cannot fail. We must rise up to the occasion and deliver.”

He underscored the need to strictly enforce the local content legislation on mining. This will attract many indigenes into the mining space, particularly the community mining scheme and the small-scale mining sector.

Mr Martin Ayisi also pledged his outfit’s commitment to work with the Minister to achieve the objectives of the government. Mr Martin Ayisi is the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission.