The Ghana Chamber of Mines says reforms in the country’s mining sector must go beyond legislation to address critical infrastructure, exploration, and community development needs if the industry is to remain competitive and sustainable.
At the Mining and Minerals Convention in Accra, the Chamber’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Ahmed Nantogmah, outlined key priority areas that should complement the review of the Minerals and Mining Act. These included railway infrastructure, geological exploration, small-scale mining regulation, and transparent revenue management.
Central to his call was the completion of the western rail line, which he described as vital to improving efficiency in mineral transportation. “We urge government to bring on board the owners of trucks who haul manganese, so they don’t lose their livelihoods when the rail lines are done,” he said, stressing the need for a socially inclusive transition.
Mr. Nantogmah also advocated sustained investment in geological surveys and exploration, noting that Ghana must expand its mineral potential to attract new investors and secure the future of the mining industry.
On small-scale mining, he emphasized the need for tighter regulation to increase revenue for the state while curbing the environmental and social damage caused by unregulated practices.
The Chamber further renewed its call for the passage of a minerals revenue management act, which Mr. Nantogmah argued would guarantee transparency in the use of mineral revenues and ensure they are channeled into long-term national development.
Highlighting community development, he praised Goldbod’s corporate social investment initiative as a progressive example of how mining revenues can be structured to improve livelihoods in host communities.
“The revised policies must not only focus on companies and government, but also on the people and communities who host these operations,” he noted, urging inclusive stakeholder collaboration in shaping the future of Ghana’s mining sector.
