Government must pay attention to mining value chain - GCM

Eric Asubonteng, the President of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, has urged government to pay attention to the mining value chain and continue to create opportunities for locals to benefit from the industry.

"We need favourable dispositions and the willingness to continuously strive for the kind of optimal, interdependent environment that guarantees our collective success," he said.

Mr Asubonteng, who was speaking at the inauguration of a multimillion-dollar Ghana Chamber of Mines' secretariat, said there was no better time to leverage investment opportunities in the mining sector for sustainable economic development.

"If we are committed to realising the full potential of the mining sector in Ghana's economy and in the lives of our people, we cannot relent on developing internal structures and equipping our institutions to ensure that investments in the minerals sector is a win-win situation for both the investor and host nation," he said.

He said the Chamber members would continue to adhere to some of the most stringent, but progressive governance principles globally to ensure the businesses were responsive to the needs of the changing world.

He called for further improvement in the regulatory conditions that can promote and enforce legal requirements in the industry.

In his welcome address, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Sulemanu Koney lauded the contributions of various individuals to the attainment of the goal of a permanent secretariat for the Chamber.

He said the building was designed to accommodate persons with disability as the plans were incorporated from the onset, underscoring the mining industry's ethos in promoting diversity and inclusiveness".

There are conference rooms for executive level meetings as well as medium size workshops and seminars.

There is also a mining library useful for journalists and researchers and a miniature-mining museum that will be fitted to showcase the history of Ghana's mining industry.

The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu-Bio, who read a speech on behalf of the sector minister, Mr Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, said the inauguration of the building demonstrated a sense of permanence that was required of the Chamber.

He lauded the Chamber for being a critical partner in Ghana's goals towards responsible mining and sustainable natural resource management in the country and urged them to do more through partnerships to bring benefits associated with the mining industry.

He called on the mining companies to support local assemblies with the needed expertise to undertake projects under the Minerals Development Fund.

Mr Asomah-Cheremeh therefore commended the current executive of the Chamber for promoting and seeing to the realisation of the secretariat with such history and reputation.

"Indeed, this should be a lifetime commemorative monument for the industry and the country as a whole," he added.