By Kofi Ahovi
Ghana last week held the eighth West African Mining and Power Conference and Exhibition (WAMPOC).
The two-day event which was under the theme "Promoting Sustainable Development through Mineral Resource Development"
Alhaji Collins Dauda, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, speaking at the opening of the WAMPOC, tasked stakeholders in the mining sector to collaborate with government to achieve sustainable development through mining.
He said while government would play the lead role to achieve the desired goal of using mineral resources to foster sustainable development, stakeholders should put their hands on deck. Alhaji Dauda .
Duada assured of government’s continuous support in improving its facilitation role while working with all other stakeholders towards achieving sustainability.
He also urged mining companies and other mining industry operators to cooperate with government to improve the local content in their operations by adhering to succession plans, procurement of local goods and services and conscious training of locals to work in the mining and allied industries.
Alhaji Dauda noted that companies should strengthen their community affairs department to actively and efficiently engage host communities on issues relating to their mutual co-existence.
He called on traditional authorities to promote dialogue and consensus building with mining firms to maximize economic and social benefits from the mines, adding that the benefits could be channeled into other economic activities to promote development of independent communities. "Government would streamline and enhance monitoring and evaluation of fiscal and financial flows within the sector to ensure efficient mobilization and distribution of the benefits of mining," he added.
According to the minister, legislations and guidelines would be developed to ensure that disbursement and usage of royalties were returned to mining communities.
"The economy of any community, which depends substantially on mining could in time grind to a halt if the use and management of communities' share of revenues and other benefits are not planned, invested and directed properly" he said.
A renowned economist, Kwame Pianim, argued that the investors in the mining sector should play a leading role in bridging the infrastructure gap in that sector and not wait on the government.
He explains that the government is facing a financing gap which poses a major challenge in providing the needed infrastructure in all the sectors.
“The government uses a huge amount of its revenue to pay salaries and salary related activities, therefore there is little left to execute infrastructural projects. This is why you have to come in,” Pianim explained.
He stressed the need for the country to maintain a stable macro-economic environment to ensure sustainable development, adding that the economy should be made attractive to foreign financing through the creation of an environment of policy certainty and sustainability.
"We need to have a good policy environment to help us attain greater heights in the mining sector," he said.
Currently, the mining sector contributes about 7% of Ghana’s total corporate earnings, 12% of government revenue and 5.5% of GDP.
The two-day conference and exhibition brought together officials of mining, transport and power companies to deliberate and explore various opportunities and build linkages that would help promote other sectors of the economy.
Countries that participated include Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire, among others.
Ghana last week held the eighth West African Mining and Power Conference and Exhibition (WAMPOC).
The two-day event which was under the theme "Promoting Sustainable Development through Mineral Resource Development"
Alhaji Collins Dauda, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, speaking at the opening of the WAMPOC, tasked stakeholders in the mining sector to collaborate with government to achieve sustainable development through mining.
He said while government would play the lead role to achieve the desired goal of using mineral resources to foster sustainable development, stakeholders should put their hands on deck. Alhaji Dauda .
Duada assured of government’s continuous support in improving its facilitation role while working with all other stakeholders towards achieving sustainability.
He also urged mining companies and other mining industry operators to cooperate with government to improve the local content in their operations by adhering to succession plans, procurement of local goods and services and conscious training of locals to work in the mining and allied industries.
Alhaji Dauda noted that companies should strengthen their community affairs department to actively and efficiently engage host communities on issues relating to their mutual co-existence.
He called on traditional authorities to promote dialogue and consensus building with mining firms to maximize economic and social benefits from the mines, adding that the benefits could be channeled into other economic activities to promote development of independent communities. "Government would streamline and enhance monitoring and evaluation of fiscal and financial flows within the sector to ensure efficient mobilization and distribution of the benefits of mining," he added.
According to the minister, legislations and guidelines would be developed to ensure that disbursement and usage of royalties were returned to mining communities.
"The economy of any community, which depends substantially on mining could in time grind to a halt if the use and management of communities' share of revenues and other benefits are not planned, invested and directed properly" he said.
A renowned economist, Kwame Pianim, argued that the investors in the mining sector should play a leading role in bridging the infrastructure gap in that sector and not wait on the government.
He explains that the government is facing a financing gap which poses a major challenge in providing the needed infrastructure in all the sectors.
“The government uses a huge amount of its revenue to pay salaries and salary related activities, therefore there is little left to execute infrastructural projects. This is why you have to come in,” Pianim explained.
He stressed the need for the country to maintain a stable macro-economic environment to ensure sustainable development, adding that the economy should be made attractive to foreign financing through the creation of an environment of policy certainty and sustainability.
"We need to have a good policy environment to help us attain greater heights in the mining sector," he said.
Currently, the mining sector contributes about 7% of Ghana’s total corporate earnings, 12% of government revenue and 5.5% of GDP.
The two-day conference and exhibition brought together officials of mining, transport and power companies to deliberate and explore various opportunities and build linkages that would help promote other sectors of the economy.
Countries that participated include Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire, among others.
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