The Executive Director of Ghana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Hon. Henry Kokofu, has underscored the importance of institutional collaboration between players in the mining industry and the environmental regulator. Hon. Henry Kokofu, who assumed office in August 2020 has been engaging various stakeholders to acquaint himself with his new role and to have a deeper understanding of critical sectors regulated by the agency.
In a meeting with the leadership of the Ghana Chamber of Mines on 13th October 2020, Hon. Kokofu stated that: “Interactions between the agency and the mining industry should be characterised by a high sense of responsibility to improve environmental sustainability and productivity of the mining companies. We will continue to collaborate with the Chamber to further enhance the benefits of mining to our environment, host communities and the economy.”
He indicated that the agency was in the process of reviewing the EPA Act, 1999 (Act 490), and related Legislative Instruments to effectively enforce environmental management across sectors. According to him, whilst the mining industry is an important contributor to the economic transformation of the country, there is the need to regularly engage players in the sector to ensure that their operations do not have deleterious effects on the environment and communities.
Hon. Kokofu urged member companies of the Chamber to support the renewed commitment of the agency to address concerns affecting the former’s operations including delays in permitting for mine operations, as well as the need to review the Environmental Protection Act and its related legislations and guidelines to be in line with global developments. “For me it is not work as usual. I am committed to leaving a lasting mark by implementing the mandate given to me by the appointing authority with your support,” he intimated.
On his part, the President of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Mr Eric Asubonteng, commended the Executive Director of the EPA and his team for making time to engage with the leadership of the Chamber so early in his new role. “This sends the signal that you are ready to get on with the work. We want to assure you of our commitment as a Chamber to work with you in an open and transparent manner for mutually beneficial outcomes.”
“Most of our challenges are very well-known to the agency and we are grateful that we have agreed on some actionable points to permanently address them. On the part of our member companies, we are also committed to assisting to address relevant issues that affect the smooth operation of the agency as we seek overall improvements in our working relationships,” he added.
Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber, Mr Sulemanu Koney, indicated the Chamber’s readiness to support the EPA in the reintroduction of the AKOBEN Environmental Performance and Rating Disclosure system that seeks to improve and sustain good environmental management on the concessions of large-scale mining companies.
“It is our belief that the AKOBEN will engender healthy competition between companies and raise the reputation of Chamber members on the global scene as businesses committed to best practice in environmental management. Extending this to our host communities will further engrain environmental and sanitation consciousness among our people, especially in the midst of the COVID- 19 pandemic,” he stated.
The meeting was attended by senior executives of producing member companies of the Chamber and the EPA.