The Ghana Chamber of Mines has renewed its call on Government to allocate at least 30 per cent of mineral royalty receipts directly to mining host communities to accelerate local development and strengthen the social licence of mining operations.
The call was made by the Immediate Past President of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Mr. Michael Edem Akafia, at the Chamber’s 98th Annual General Meeting held at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra on 5th June 2026.
Mr. Akafia noted that while mining communities bear the direct impacts of mineral extraction and contribute significantly to national economic growth, the proportion of mineral revenues that reaches these communities remains inadequate.
He stressed that increasing the share of royalties allocated to mining areas would support investments in critical infrastructure, education, healthcare, livelihood enhancement and environmental management, thereby ensuring that the benefits of mining are more equitably shared.
“The sustainability of mining depends not only on the value created for shareholders and the State but also on the tangible benefits experienced by host communities,” he said.
The Chamber’s call comes against the backdrop of the mining sector’s strong economic performance in 2025. According to Mr. Akafia, the mining and quarrying sector generated GH¢24.22 billion in fiscal revenue for Government, representing a 10.61 per cent increase over the GH¢21.90 billion recorded in 2024.
Total taxes attributable to the sector increased from GH¢20.87 billion in 2024 to GH¢23.11 billion in 2025. Corporate income tax payments rose from GH¢13.58 billion to GH¢14.69 billion, while mineral royalty receipts increased from GH¢4.90 billion to GH¢5.41 billion. Employee income taxes also climbed from GH¢2.39 billion to GH¢3.01 billion.
Dividends paid by mining companies to the State rose by 7.56 per cent from GH¢1.03 billion in 2024 to GH¢1.11 billion in 2025. Overall, the sector accounted for 27.65 per cent of all direct domestic tax revenue mobilised by the Ghana Revenue Authority during the year.
Beyond fiscal contributions, Chamber producing member companies spent US$7.14 billion within the Ghanaian economy in 2025. Of this amount, US$4.20 billion was paid to local suppliers and service providers, US$2.14 billion went to taxes and levies, US$720.12 million was paid in employee remuneration and US$88.60 million was invested directly in host communities through various social investment programmes.
The sector also consolidated its position as Ghana’s leading source of export earnings. Mineral export receipts surged by 77.99 per cent from US$11.98 billion in 2024 to US$21.36 billion in 2025, increasing the sector’s share of gross merchandise exports from 58.45 per cent to 68.22 per cent.
Mr. Akafia further called on Parliament to enact a Mineral Revenue Management Act to establish a transparent and accountable framework for the collection, allocation and utilisation of mineral revenues. According to him, such legislation should provide clear guidelines on revenue sharing, accountability mechanisms and provisions for inter-generational equity.
He also expressed concern over the low fiscal contribution of the small-scale mining subsector, despite its growing share of national gold production. While small-scale mining accounted for more than half of Ghana’s gold output in 2025, its direct contributions through corporate income tax, mineral royalties and employee income taxes remained minimal.
The Chamber therefore urged Government to intensify efforts to formalise the small-scale mining sector and improve compliance with fiscal and regulatory obligations to ensure that the country’s mineral wealth delivers maximum benefits to all stakeholders.