The Ghana Chamber of Mines hosted key stakeholders in Kumasi from 20th-22nd February 2020 at a strategy session and Expanded Council meeting to discuss trends in the mining industry and ways to refocus to ensure that the industry continues to yield benefits to both investors and the State.
The meeting brought together experts from the Ghana Revenue Authority, Ministry of Finance, the Minerals Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, Civil Society and captains of the mining industry. Participants agreed that there was a need to deepen advocacy for the formalization of all forms of mining in order to boost the benefits obtained by the state from mining. Additionally, participants urged regulatory agencies to support the operations of producing mining companies and service providers as the industry continues play an integral role in the economy.
Members called on the government to put measures in place to safeguard mining sites in Ghana in light of the attacks recorded on some member companies of the Chamber in 2019 and the increasing challenges with terrorist attacks on mining firms in the sub-region.
The Deputy Minister for Energy in charge of Petroleum, Hon. (Dr.) Mohammed Adam, who participated in the meeting assured the participants that the government had put measures in place to sustain power generation and cost of fuel for the mining industry. He was optimistic that the mining industry will continue to experience growth under the administration as the government consider various ways to provide the needed support for businesses in the country.
The Expanded Council meeting is a periodic seminar held by the Chamber to assess trends and deepen the impact of mining on Ghana’s economy.