The Minerals Commission of Ghana is at an advanced stage in establishing regional and district offices to enhance supervision to check illegal mining and improve efficiency.
For forty years, the Commission’s services have been centralized, leading to inefficiencies. Through increased access to information and services, synergy between clients and the Commission is expected to be enhanced.
“Decentralization will enable us to provide effective oversight and regulation of mining activities at the regional level. This will lead to improved compliance with mining regulations, reduced environmental degradation, and increased revenue generation for the government,” explained Martin Kwaku Awusi, Chief Executive Officer for the Minerals Commission.
The decentralization of the Mineral Commission’s operations is a timely intervention aimed at addressing the escalating menace of ‘galamsey’ in Ghana’s mining areas.
For years, the lack of effective regulation and oversight has allowed illegal mining activities to thrive, resulting in devastating environmental degradation and loss of revenue for the state.
However, with the establishment of regional offices, the Mineral Commission will be better positioned to monitor and regulate mining activities, making it more difficult for galamsey operators to evade detection.
The presence of Mineral Commission officials in the regions will also enable them to engage more effectively with local communities and stakeholders, raising awareness about the dangers of galamsey and the importance of responsible mining practices.
Establishment of Regional and District Offices
The Minerals Commission, as part of the decentralization drive, is building Regional and District complexes with its internally generated funds.
For the Regional Mining Offices, the Commission is building complexes in Kumasi, Tarkwa, Savanna (Bole), Tamale, Wa and Bolga.
Last year, District Offices were established in Bibiani and Oda, while Kyebi and Damang Offices are expected to be completed this year. Works on the Kumasi, Tarkwa, Savanna, and Tamale office complexes are far advanced.
At Bole in Savanna, the Mineral Commission’s office is scheduled to be completed in April, 2025 whereas the New Office for Tarkwa would be ready next year.
The Kumasi Regional Office is an eight-storey modern and multi-purpose office complex, which is nearing completion.
According to the CEO, decentralizing the Commission’s operations is crucial for enhancing regulation of the mining sector and improving service delivery.
He emphasized that decentralization would bring numerous benefits to the minerals industry.
With offices located across the regions, stakeholders will have easier access to the Commission’s services. This will reduce the need for stakeholders to travel to Accra for services, saving time and resources.
The Commission’s decentralization efforts are a significant step towards improving the efficiency and effectiveness of Ghana’s mining sector.
Mr. Ayisi noted that the Commission’s decentralization efforts are in line with the government’s vision to make the mining sector more transparent, accountable, and beneficial to all stakeholders.
It will also have a positive impact on the mining sector, leading to increased investment, job creation, and economic growth.
Capacity Building for Staff
About 40 mine inspectors, including mining engineers, geotechnical engineers, metallurgists, mechanical engineers, mine surveyors and mineral economists are in the USA, Australia and Canada for further training in their respective areas of expertise.
Some are attached to world class mines such as Nevada Gold Mines and Freeport McMoRan in the USA and Northern Star Resources and BHP in Australia, among others.
Mr. Kwaku Ayisi has also underscored the need to improve the capacity of staff to deal with the needs of the modern mining industry.
Ghana hosts some of the biggest mining giants, including Newmont Mining Corporation, which is the biggest gold producing company in the world; AngloGold Ashanti, Goldfields Ghana and now the Chinese giant, Zijin Mining Group.
Mr. Ayisi emphasized the high level of sophistication and technology being deployed by Newmont at its Ahafo Mines, for example, equally calls for very high level of quality mine inspectors to be able to identify potential health and safety hazards.
“So the least that should be expected is to have mine inspectors whose level of knowledge and technical skills should be at par if not better than the various engineers at the mines in Ghana,” he added.
The Chief Executive believes a world class training is central to ensuring that the country’s mines are safe and are operating responsibly.
According to Mr. Martin Ayisi, building the professional and skills capacity of staff members are crucial to the success of the Minerals Commission.
The Minerals Commission is of the strong conviction that the exposure of working in the mines will expose the staff to new mining software, emerging trends and technology especially in an industry where robotics, Artificial Intelligence and machine learning are gaining extensive use in the mining sector
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