GIVE MINING NEW IMAGE

Mining is a major source of revenue for the country’s development programmes. Ghana can boast of major mines and for this reason leading players in the sector are involved in the operations.
We also mine bauxite and diamond. The recent discovery of huge deposits of oil has imposed additional responsibilities on the country to promote better collaboration between the mining companies and the communities in which such explorations are done to guarantee mutually beneficial returns.
These mining activities are normally welcomed with a lot of fanfare in the communities, with the hope that such activities will turn around the economic fortunes of the people.
But conditions in most mining areas indicate that there is the need for a review of mining operations in the country.
The level of environmental degradation in areas like Obuasi, Tarkwa, Prestea and Akwatia should be a wake-up call to all that mining operations have not lifted up the living conditions of the people.
From hindsight, it is crucial to appreciate that for Ghana to make any major gains from mining activities, there is the need for mining companies and communities to take a long-term view of mining operations in order to design policies that are likely to provide sustainable benefits.
Therefore, the decision by the government to establish a high-powered task force to find solutions to problems in the mining sector, although long overdue, should be welcome news.
The task force will also seek a new paradigm for the mining sector to make it better suited to the national development agenda, as well as erase the erroneous perception among the public that mining companies are exploitative and contribute nothing in real terms to the economy.
It is an undeniable fact that mining activities in the country are characterised by some negative practices, such as galamsey operations, human rights abuses, environmental degradation and clashes between the mining companies and the local communities, brought about by a misunderstanding over the payment of compensation.
With a clear movement towards openness and transparency in our society in recent times, there is the need for mining companies to follow open processes in their dealings with members of the communities within which they operate.
The Daily Graphic believes that it is also important for the central government not to abdicate its responsibility concerning local community issues to the mining companies so that the companies can be held accountable for their actions.
It is only through the active involvement of local communities and civil society organisations that mining companies can be made to be more socially responsible by playing a more proactive role in community development programmes.
While steps are being taken to promote sustainable development in mining communities, the country must also provide a better legal framework within which to maximise returns from the sector.
The exportation of our mineral resources in raw form must give way to value addition.
The Daily Graphic appeals to the government to grant special tax incentives to entrepreneurs willing to invest in refinery plants to add value to our bauxite, gold and diamond.
While wishing the Ghana Chamber of Mines a happy 80th anniversary, we also call on it to join hands with the government to enforce best practices among the mining companies.