Mining sector urged to consider future generations

Mr Nii Osah Mills, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, has called on the mining sector to ensure inter-generational equity, active stakeholder participation and monitoring of local development.

He said the sector consider the future environmental, health and safety impacts associated with the mining of depletable minerals, ensure active stakeholder participation and the transparent monitoring, auditing and reporting on development and resource allocations to local government.

The Minister was addressing participants at the “Ghana Mining for Development Alumni Day”, a mining forum hosted by Australia’s International Mining for Development Sector (IM4DC) and supported by the Australian government.

The forum was under the theme: “Collaboration for change: mineral resources for shared prosperity” and brought together Ghanaian alumni of Australian-funded training and capacity-building programmes to share ideas on new initiatives and practices in Ghana’s mining sector.

The Minister remarked that while mining takes care of the interests of today’s generation, planning for generations unborn is an important element of sustaining prosperity and development.

He noted that a transparent development framework to assess the use of allocations by local assemblies and unit committees would also enhance development.

He added that sustained development will require active collaboration between stakeholders, the public and private sector as well as consideration for community and civil society interests.

The Minister thanked IM4DC and the Australian mining community for their capacity-building exercises and partnership.

He called on the IMD4C to continue in that regard and to help advance the Tarkwa University of Mines and Technology.

He also expressed his pleasure with some local bodies for partnering with IM4DC for capacity building in Ghana and Africa: Minerals Commission, Geological Survey Department, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), University of Ghana’s Faculty of Law, Goldfields Ghana Ltd, Newmont and the Artisanal and Small Scale Mining Network (ASMAN).

The IM4DC is an Australian body that seeks to improve mining legislation, policy, knowledge and practice to foster sustainable development. IM4DC and other Australian bodies had been offering training courses in mining over the past years.

Robin Evans, Deputy Director, IM4DC, said: “Empowering the alumni to influence change in their own contexts is at the core of the IM4DC programme, and here in Ghana we have an engaged and diverse group across government agencies, civil society and academic institutions, all focussed on ensuring that Ghana realises positive outcomes from the continued development of its mineral resource endowment.”

Among the speakers who graced the occasion were Mr Nii Osah Mills, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Dr Toni Aubynn, Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Minerals Commission, and Dr Valerio Bosco of the Addis Ababa-based African Minerals Development Centre.

Australia has a long history of providing capacity-building support to Ghana and countries across Africa.