Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Honourable Armah Kofi Buah has called for a concerted effort to transform the mining sector.
Addressing the gathering of experts, the Deputy Minister, Minerals Commission CEO, and Heads of Departments, the Minister acknowledging the daunting task appealed for all hands to be on desk and a collective approach to ensure the fight is won.
The Minister in an attempt to woo the Commission’s staff members, reiterated the need for everyone to get involved for the greater good of Ghana.
Underscoring the importance of his visit,the Minister stated that the exigencies of the demands requires a new approach and direction in tackling the issue of mining while protecting and sustaining the environment.
Beyond recogniting the mining sector’s contributions to the country’s economy, he observed that the Minerals Commission as a regulator must play a policing role to ensure the sustainability of the environment.
Given that,the Minister noted, “Everyone is digging everywhere for gold,the Minerals Commission,being the regulator must ensure that the right things are done in the sector”,the Minister urged.
Recounting his stints at the Petroleum Commission,the Minister entreated the Commission to get along not only with the licencing regime but in monitoring to ensure the right was done.
“I established the petroleum Commission so I know a thing or two about what the role of a regulatorship is.”,the Minister affirmed his call.
Mr. Buah noted that his work at the sector Petroleum Sector had brought on board Ghana Gas, ENI,Sankofa with huge infrastructure though he claimed not to be an expert in the Oil and Gas sector.
Honourable Armah Kofi Buah entreated the staff members of Commission to ensure that the right things are done stating, “We live in a country where everyone is going “crazy” digging everywhere in the water, in the forest and even with those we have given licence, with some holding the licence with impunity yet they are still coming for more licence”,he decried.
He called for a total change in the way businesses are conducted at the Minerals Commission.
“Rather one of the things we should be noted for is when the Commission comes into mind, we should say we have very dedicated, and people with integrity ready to stand up for Ghana and ensuring that people play by the rules”, the Minister disclosed.
The Minister urged the staff members to support calls for reviewing the licensing regime emphasizing that that will only take their coordination.
Acknowledging the steps that have been taken to overhaul mining sector policy,the Minister was relentless in his support emphasizing the urgent need to move with the speed of light.
“We have to recognise that there is something fundamentally wrong with the approach to licensing. Why must we give prospecting licences”?
“I am sure by the time I leave here,we will stop to give licence for prospecting.It must be the government of Ghana working with Geological Survey led the Minerals Commission.The Geological Survey must know everywhere the Minerals are located so that when you go there, you already know where to do your mining”, he stated.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer(CEO), Minerals Commission, Martin Kwaku Ayisi bemoaned the practice and called for ways to deal with the situation.
He said he was duly told that gold deposit had been discovered in his community’s cemetery, a matter he noted is creating great dilemma.
However, he indicates the resolve to finding a possible measures to mitigate the anomaly in the sector.
