Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia
The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has pledged to allocate at least GH¢10 million annually to the Geological Survey Authority as part of the party's strategy to optimise the exploration of Ghana’s mineral resources.
Speaking during his campaign in the Akwatia constituency, Dr. Bawumia expressed concerns about the current mineral exploration practices, where companies are granted prospecting licenses and engage in a ‘trial and error’ approach. This method, he argued, often leads to significant environmental degradation.
“To prevent the trial-and-error process of exploring minerals, which destroys the environment, we intend to resource the Geological Survey Department with at least GH¢10 million every year, to accurately locate the minerals,” citinewsroom.com quoted Dr. Bawumia.
He emphasised that the Geological Survey Authority has already identified specific locations of mineral deposits, which will help streamline the operations of mining companies and reduce environmental impact.
Building on this foundation, Dr. Bawumia outlined plans to initiate a community mining scheme supported by a common user facility, enabling local communities to engage in sustainable mining practices.
“We will initiate the community mining scheme and provide them with a common user facility for them to mine,” he said.
In addition to funding and community support, Dr. Bawumia underscored the importance of involving traditional leaders in the mineral licensing process. He believes that granting chiefs an equity stake in small-scale mining operations will ensure that the benefits of mining are shared more equitably and help safeguard the country’s interests.
“In the mining licensing process, we have to involve the chiefs; otherwise, it will not end well for the country. We also have to provide for an equity stake of the chiefs in the concessions,” Dr. Bawumia added.
NAY/ADG
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