The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has assured Ghanaians of his Ministry’s resolve to work to sanitize the Lands and Natural Resources of the country.
Samuel Jinapor stated that the Lands and Natural Resources of any country makes-up the country and ought to be protected and managed for the benefit of the people.
As such, government, he indicated, will not relent in its efforts to sanitize the lands and natural resources sector through appropriate policies and regulations.
“The commitment of President Akufo-Addo to ensure the sustainable and efficient management of the lands and natural resources of the country, anchored on integrity and transparency, is total and unflinching.”
Samuel Abu Jinapor
The Lands Minister averred that government will be relentless and totally committed to enhance all the measures that have been put in place to come to grips with the matters of illegal mining.
“The menace of illegal mining is an age-old problem that predates the Fourth Republic and even though the illegal mining still persists, the Government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and its agencies, has worked to bring the situation reasonably under control.”
Samuel Abu Jinapor
Ministry’s interventions
According to Samuel Jinapor, government’s interventions in this area have largely been through regulatory and enforcement means.
In the area of regulation, the Minister mentioned that there were some reforms at the Minerals Commission, including resourcing the Inspectorate Division of the Commission, digitalization of the Minerals Commission, the introduction of online application for mineral rights, and the revamping of the Community Mining Schemes.
On enforcement, Samuel Jinapor stated that some of the policies being implemented by the Government include the declaration of water bodies and Forest Reserves as Red Zones for mining, the ban on reconnaissance, prospecting and/or exploration for minerals in Forest Reserves, the introduction of Operation Halt II, the tracking of earthmoving equipment and machines for mining, among others.
The Minister emphasized that President Akufo-Addo is not against small scale mining, but rather wants it to be done in a legally regulated way.
“We have launched a manual for Community Mining Scheme. Government has gone through the process of putting together and formulating a manual and since launched, the manual is giving key characteristics of community mining.”
Samuel Abu Jinapor
The Lands Minister averred that the scheme seeks to ensure that community mining is done in an environmentally sound manner.
Honorable Jinapor added that the Regional, Municipal and District Security Councils have been tasked to lead the fight in their various jurisdictions to be supported by the national taskforce as and when the need arises.
The Lands Minister, therefore, called on all communities to support this fight as the communities bear the brunt of the consequences of illegal mining.
Touching on lands, the Minister asserted that the consequence of a poorly regulated land sector is as serious as illegal mining. Government, he stated, is therefore committed to building a robust, efficient and effective land administration that is anchored on integrity.
Mr. Jinapor indicated that government is therefore investing in technology at the Lands Commission to ensure this vision is achieved.
“Some of these technological reforms has resulted in the Lands Commission moving some of its services, including searches online, and introducing composite search at the Commission to replace the searches at the different Divisions of the Commission.”
Samuel Abu Jinapor
Hon. Samuel Jinapor further indicated that the Commission is also implementing a digitization programme that will see to the digitalization of the records of the Lands Commission.
Read Also: Fitch Downgrades UBA Ghana to ‘B-’: Outlook Stable
