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Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Wednesday inaugurated an 18-member technical committee chaired by Professor Martin Oteng-Ababio to develop a blueprint to reform and sanitise the mining sub-sector.
The Committee is tasked to review the current state of the mining sector and provide recommendations to reform the sector towards ensuring sustainable national development. It has a two-week ultimatum (February 27,2025) to present its final report to the lands minister to enable the government to implement recommendations for reforms in the mining sector.
Mr Buah inaugurated the committee together with Mr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI) at the Ministry’s premises in Accra.
The committee comprised experts from the offices of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, Forestry Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Minerals Commission, Centre for Extractive Development – Africa representing Civil Society.
The rest are the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners, Water Resources Commission, Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police Service, National House of Chiefs, Lands Commission, Ghana Geological Survey Authority, and Technical Directors of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources – Mines, Forestry and Lands.
The terms of reference for the Committee include reviewing the licensing regime and processes within the mining sector; review operations of mining in forest reserves and identify best-practices for sustainable mining operations. Also, it is expected to propose approaches to halting mining in water and river bodies, and make recommendations for the development of a comprehensive strategy to addressing mining challenges.
The Minister expressed confidence in the members of the committee to sacrifice their time and resources to deliver an efficient blueprint that would help save Ghana from the destructive effects of galamsey. “I want to assure you that between me and the Ministry of Environment and Lands and Natural Resources, we will coordinate and provide every information that is required for you to be successful.”
“We will make sure that every official that might be present to guide your work is available. And we will support you with all the coordination that you need to be successful,” Mr Buah assured the Committee. He said the mining sector was a critical component of Ghana’s economic development, hence all the efforts must be geared towards ridding the sector of excesses to ensure maximum benefit.
Professor Martin Oteng-Ababio, Chair of the Committee, in his remarks, said members of the Committee would consult extensively to develop effective strategies to combat illegal mining. He said the fighting illegal mining could be achieved if the chiefs, community members and legal small-scale miners were involved to serve as watchdogs and supervisors in their communities.
Professor Oteng-Ababio, who is also the Acting Provost of the College of Education, thanked the Ministers for the confidence reposed in them and assured them of quality work, and promised to deliver according to the ultimatum given.
Source: GNA
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