Traditional authorities are set to play a more significant role in mining operations under proposed amendments to Ghana’s mining laws, with prospective miners expected to secure the support of host communities before commencing operations.
The Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Minerals Commission in charge of Small-Scale Mining and Industrial Minerals, Mr Maxwell Yao Akpene Klu, said the proposed reforms would strengthen community participation in the governance of mineral rights.
He said the reforms were intended to prevent mining companies and small-scale miners from relying solely on licences obtained in Accra to operate on traditional lands.
Speaking to the media, Mr Klu said the proposed legal framework would make extensive engagement with chiefs, landowners and other local stakeholders an essential part of the mining process.
He said a mining licence issued by the Commission alone should not be regarded as sufficient authorisation to operate in a community.
“You have a licence, but you need a social licence to be able to operate,” he stated.
Mr Klu said applicants would be expected to begin engaging traditional authorities and other relevant stakeholders from the early stages of their applications to ensure that communities understood the proposed mining operations.
He explained that the approach was intended to minimise conflicts and ensure that mining activities contributed to the development of host communities.
The Commission also indicated that the amended law would provide clearer provisions on land reclamation by small-scale miners.
Mr Klu said while large-scale mining companies were already required to provide reclamation bonds through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), similar arrangements would be strengthened for small-scale mining under the revised legal framework.
He said the Commission was awaiting the passage of the amended law before undertaking the necessary revisions to the relevant Legislative Instruments.
According to him, the reforms would make the obligations of small-scale miners regarding land restoration more explicit.
Mr Klu also called on political leaders to end the politicisation of the fight against illegal mining and support efforts to protect the country’s water bodies and the environment.
He said the consequences of illegal mining affected the entire country, irrespective of political affiliation, and therefore required a united national response.
He urged politicians and other stakeholders to undertake introspection and consider what they could personally do to end the environmental degradation caused by illegal mining.
Mr Klu said the Commission would remain focused on enforcing the law and working with stakeholders rather than engaging in political debates.
He further appealed to communities and traditional leaders to support the Commission’s efforts to move miners from restricted areas into properly designated and regulated mining zones.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL
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