Source: newsthemegh.com
Samuel A. Jinapor, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, has advocated for the depoliticization of the fight against illegal mining, stressing that any attempt to achieve political gain could jeopardize the government’s attempts to address the threat.
He emphasized the government’s dedication to supporting ethical and sustainable small-scale mining, which is demonstrated by the sector’s contribution to the nation’s economy and output of minerals.
This was expressed by him during his keynote talk on Wednesday in Sunyani at the University of Energy and Natural Resources’ (UENR) ‘Transformational Dialogue on Small Scale Mining’.
Mr. Jinapor pointed out that while proponents of the “ban small-scale mining” movement may have a point, any such decision would be unsustainable given the industry’s overall effects on Ghana’s socioeconomic condition.
Using statistics from 2022 to support his claim, he said that the small-scale mining industry has been a crucial part of the government’s successes in the mining sector and that all necessary measures to promote the industry would be made.
“The small-scale mining industry is significant to the overall health of the economy. For this reason, we must work together and take an all-hands-on-deck stance in the struggle against illegitimate small-scale mining. The government will continue to play its part, but in order to get the desired outcome, we need your help as well as mine. We must avoid making this political. He remarked, “This must be a national call.
He listed some of the major policy changes and initiatives the government had taken to clean up the industry.
“We are offering alternative sources of income and livelihood to people involved in mining under the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAELP), which was introduced by President Akufo-Addo in 2021.
Several young people are employed by this program to produce seedlings and restore mined land that has been degraded. In the Ashanti, Eastern, and Western North Regions, reclamation is currently under place on more than 1,000 hectares (1,000 ha) of degraded areas, he observed.
The Vice Chancellor of UNER, Prof. Elvis Asare-Bediaku, stated that the University of Energy and Natural Resources’ expertise would be needed to design a successful dialogue because a thorough understanding of the issues facing the extractive sector is a crucial component.
In addition to carrying out interdisciplinary academic research and outreach initiatives, UENR is charged with fostering the development of the human resources and skills needed to address society’s most pressing energy and natural resource problems.