Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, also the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, has articulated a comprehensive vision for the mining sector aimed at enhancing regulation, particularly for small-scale miners, and safeguarding the environment.
Addressing the nation in Accra on Wednesday to present his vision for Ghana, Dr. Bawumia highlighted that approximately one million Ghanaians are involved in small-scale mining.
He emphasized the necessity of transitioning these miners towards responsible mining practices to generate more wealth and ensure environmental preservation.
“About one million people are engaged in small-scale mining. Our goal would be to help small-scale mining companies to grow into large-scale companies with capacity building and skills to access financing to acquire equipment.
“We can create many millionaires in the small-scale mining industry if we support them,” Dr Bawumia said.
“My government will support the Minerals Commission and key stakeholders to formalise the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) sector with the objective of ensuring that the activities of the entire value chain are sustainably and responsibly done.”
In line with that, he said his government “would license all miners doing responsible mining. District mining committees, including chiefs, will provide initial temporary licenses to the miners.”
“As long as miners mine within the limits of their licenses, there will be no mining in river or water bodies, there will no longer be any seizure or burning of excavators.”
“I will fully decentralise the Minerals Commission as well as Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and ensure that they are present in all mining districts.”
Dr. Bawumia stated that under his administration, every Ghanaian engaged in small-scale mining would be registered under the Ghana Small Scale Miners Association using their Ghana Card.
“We will, in collaboration with the large mining companies, convert abandoned shafts into community mining schemes and open more new community mining schemes.”