Bawumia engages small-scale miners over reforms to tackle sector challenges

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has held consultations with the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners to identify reforms aimed at addressing the challenges faced by the small-scale mining sector. The engagement took place on Thursday, August 27, and brought together members of the NPP’s Identifiable Groups Committee on the Extractive Sector.

During the discussions, the focus was on the challenges confronting small-scale miners and devising measures to promote responsible mining, protect the environment, create jobs, and strengthen local value addition. In a Facebook post, Bawumia outlined that the consultations also explored ways to enhance the sector's contribution to the economy while mitigating its environmental impact.

Dr. Bawumia emphasized the importance of implementing practical and sustainable reforms to enable small-scale mining to play a more significant role in Ghana's economy while minimizing its environmental footprint. The engagement is part of the NPP's broader consultations with stakeholders in the extractive sector, who are being sought for their views and recommendations to inform possible policy interventions and reforms.

Ghana's small-scale mining industry is a vital source of employment and livelihoods, but it has also grappled with persistent issues such as environmental degradation, particularly illegal mining, and its detrimental effects on water bodies and land. The consultations aim to contribute to the NPP's efforts in developing policies that strike a balance between the economic benefits of small-scale mining and the need for environmental protection and responsible resource management.