Australia supports public-private dialogue on mining

Key representatives of government, civil society organisations, mining communities, and industry, have met in Accra to dialogue on issues concerning mining.

A statement issued by the Australian High Commission in Accra, and copied to the Ghana News Agency said, two key mining topics: How to improve the governance of the Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) Sector; and how to improve Public-Private Partnerships to benefit mining communities, were discussed.

The statement said the dialogue is the second Public-Private Dialogues on Mining Governance, supported by the Australian Government in partnership with the African Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET).

Ms Zabeta Moutafis, the Australian High Commission’s First Secretary for Development Co-operation, who opened the dialogue, said the “the purpose of these dialogues is to bring key stakeholders and policy-makers together to discuss the complex issues around mining, governance, build consensus, and hopefully lead to improved policies that will benefit the wider community.

Ms Moutafis said “the extractive sector in Ghana can play a trans formative role and contribute to the achievement of Ghana’s development priorities,”

She said, with substantial experience in both mining and development, Australia was well-placed to share its experience with African countries that wished to overcome the challenges and reap the benefits of a growing mining sector.

The discussions focused on issues such as: the impacts and opportunities presented by the small-scale mining industry and galamsey in Ghana; the possible co-existence of small- and large-scale mining in Ghana; the management and most equitable structuring of PPPs between government, extractives companies and impacted communities; and how to prioritise social and economic activities to be targeted by PPPs.

Case studies and a discussion paper were presented to the group, with the ensuing dialogue moderated by Dr. Muzong Kodi from the global independent policy institute, Chatham House.

Discussions highlighted that if managed correctly, multi-stakeholder partnerships can offer opportunities for sustainable, long-term benefits and transformational change within mining-affected communities.

Many of the current risks (health, environmental, social) associated with ASM could also be mitigated through improved regulation so that small-scale mining is able to better contribute to improved livelihoods for workers and their communities.

The first dialogue in November 2014 discussed the management of mining revenues.

The third and final forum in the Public-Private Dialogues on Mining Governance series is scheduled for April 2015 and will focus on governance as it relates to Local Content policies.

The African Centre for Economic Transformation is an economic policy institute supporting Africa’s long-term growth through transformation. ACET’s mission is to promote policy and institutional reforms for sustained and economic growth throughout Africa, so that African countries can drive their own growth and transformation agendas.