Community Mining Scorecard Out; Creates 115, 400 Jobs

Gold Production Surges By 70.6%

• Reduces Crime Rate

The introduction of government’s flagship Community Mining Scheme (CMS) programme in mining communities, has yielded significant results, contributing to major increase in Ghana’s gold production.

The initiative since its inception, has created some 115, 400 jobs, when it was launched sometime in 2020, at Tinga in the Bole District of the Savanna Region.

Presently, mining communities in Ashanti, Western, Eastern, Upper East Region and others, where the initiative was commissioned and in operation, is able to create over 4, 000 jobs.

Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Mines, George Mireku Duker, who disclosed this in an interview said, the total figure comprises, 84, 000 direct and 31, 400 indirect employments.

“As I speak with you, community mining schemes this government has initiated is 84, 000 direct jobs have been created out of Community Mining.

‘’ Even in Tarkwa alone one Community Mining has employed not less than 4000. When we started, it was almost 5000 but now per the data, the registration they have done is about 4000 direct.

‘’So, in total, 84, 000 direct jobs have been created out of this Community Mining concept. So direct jobs 84, 000, indirect jobs 31, 400 and then in total it is 115, 000”, he revealed on Accra-based Adom FM on Tuesday, July 16.

The Community Mining was designed for the youth, who are interested in mining responsibly, while curbing activities of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, to provide decent income.

Crime Rate Reduced

Mr Duker, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tarkwa Nsuaem constituency, said the initiative has helped curb crime in the beneficiary communities, adding the concept is also aimed at building local champions in the sector whose capacity, experience and financial resources can be enhanced to become large scale miners in the long run.

“But for this, all these people would have been on the streets. If you ask the security agencies per their statistics since we started this Community Mining in the mining districts, crime reduced tremendously. If you ask them, they will tell you that it has really supported the national security front”, he added.

He indicated that, the initiative which has become attractive with several communities clamoring for their share, requires engagement of all stakeholders like chiefs, District Chief Executives, opinion leaders, before the initiative could be launched.

He disputed criticism that the programme is designed to only find job for people close to officials of government and supporters of NPP.

Debate

Duker, who highlighted the achievements, challenges and the way forward for the policy said, the work government, has done in the mining sector is not only unprecedented, but novel which their opponents could not think of.

“What we have done is novel, our colleagues in the NDC could not even dream of it”, he jabbed as he dared for debate on the Small-Scale Mining Sector.

Mr Duker, who began his submission by giving overview of what the government came to meet in 2017, said the situation before their coming into office was a helpless one.

He said, despite claims by the then John Mahama administration of fighting illegal mining, it remained mere rhetoric, as the then government had no clue about the situation to the extent that at a point, former president and his appointees, only threw their hands in despair.

Reforms

Since 2017, he said several programmes and reforms, were introduced and has improved the sector, adding that, sustaining these measures and adding on, will help put the sector at an enviable level.

Some of these novel measures, include tracking of earth moving machines, retooling of the inspectorate division and Minerals Commission, online application, Mineral Development Unit, Geological Investigation Areas, the establishment of community mining, introduction of river guards.

Others are, tracking of earth moving machines, the National Alternative Livelihood Programme, Mercury Free Machines, among others.

Galamsey fight

He said, Ghana’s fight against illegal mining which, includes the introduction of Community Mining, has attracted the attention of African countries like South Africa, Liberia, Sudan, and Zambia.

He said, these countries have all come to the ministry to learn at firsthand the measures that have been implemented that is sustaining the sector.

“I am so proud that countries that introduced Community Mining and the concept we are using, the novel activities we have introduced in our mining sector, when we go for international programmes, Ghana is praised highly. Let me also state that South Africa came to Ghana to learn how we are introducing and implementing this Community Mining.

Sudan, they have been here, Zambia they have been here, Liberia they have been here, all to also make sure that they can learn what we are implementing here. So, countries have been coming to the ministry. As for Zambia minister for mining, he followed me to Asunafo to commission the Community Mining. We were the ones that introduced Mercury Free Machines to Zambia and he was celebrated by his people.

I traveled with Sudan Minister to Tarkwa, he wanted to see things for himself. These are people ready to learn from us. So, in our sector, the positives are many”.

Challenges

Touching on some of the challenges, the Deputy Minister, said it is wrong for people to still mine in river bodies, despite the many efforts to stop these nation wreckers.

The MP said often, it is difficult for a minister or those in high places to chance on those destroying the river bodies and so tasked the communities, chiefs and opinion leaders to “marshal all the forces and say we will not allow this and the ministry will never grant concession to mine in river bodies”.

“I have said that government will never grant anyone to mine in river bodies so if anyone comes with such permit, know that he is being untruthful. It is not true, it will not happen. And you will not see any community demonstrating in Ghana that they will not allow mining to happen in their area.

Most of the activities they condone and connive. So let me use this opportunity to tell them that, if someone comes and he is mining in a water body, stop it because it is your future that has been protected by the chiefs.”

So far, the ministry has launched about 23 of the policy at different locations in the mining areas.

Gold Production Surges

A recent report by the Ghana Chamber of Mines, reveals small-scale mining, recorded a major increase of 70.6percent in the production of gold from 0.66 million ounces, to 1.1 million ounces in 2023.

This is attributed to a number of policies, including the review of withholding tax on unprocessed gold and the Gold for Oil Programme.

“Regarding the small-scale sub-sector, the output growth was consistent with the recovery trajectory that followed the halving of the withholding tax on unprocessed gold, from 3.0% in 2021 to 1.5% in 2022,” the report said.

“Further, the introduction of the Government of Ghana’s Gold for Oil programme in 2023 effectively relieved small-scale miners from the payment of the impost,” it added.

Gold production, rose from 3.7 million ounces in 2022, to four million ounces in 2023, representing an 8.3percent increase, largely driven by the expansion of small-scale mining industry.

Source: Anchorghana.com