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I’ll empower small-scale miners to do responsible mining; grow their operations – Bawumia
The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has laid out a detailed vision for the mining sector, which he says will help effectively regulate the industry, help small-scale miners and also protect the environment
Speaking to the nation in Accra on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, to unveil his vision and priorities for Ghana, Dr. Bawumia said about one million Ghanaians are engaged in small-scale mining and there is a need to help transform these small-scale miners to practice responsible mining, create more wealth, and also save the environment.
“About one million people are engaged in small-scale mining. Our goal would be to help grow small-scale mining companies into large-scale companies with capacity building and assisting them to access financing to acquire equipment. We can create many millionaires in the small-scale mining industry if we support them,” Dr Bawumia said.
“My government will support the Minerals Commission and key stakeholders to formalize the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) sector to ensure that the activities of the entire value chain are sustainably and responsibly done so that most of the gold produced by this sector can be sold to the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and be eligible to be part of the gold reserves of the central bank.”
Dr. Bawumia added that in line with this, his government “will license all miners doing responsible mining. District Mining Committees, including chiefs, will provide initial temporary licenses to miners.”
“As long as miners mine within the limits of their licenses, e.g. no mining in river or water bodies, there will no longer be any seizure or burning of excavators.”
“I will fully decentralize the Minerals Commission as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and ensure that they are present in all mining districts.”
Dr. Bawumia added that, under his government, every Ghanaian in Small Scale Mining will register under Ghana Small Scale Miners Association with their Ghanacard.
“We will, in collaboration with the large mining companies, convert abandoned shafts into community mining schemes and open more new community mining schemes.”
Other initiatives Dr Bawumia announced for the mining sector are:
*Pension scheme for small-scale miners as we have for cocoa farmers.
- Introduce vocational and skills training on sustainable mining for small-scale miners in the curriculum of TVET institutions.
- Provide equipment to government authorities in mining communities to undertake reclamation of land
•Set up state-of-the-art common-user gold processing units in mining districts in collaboration with the private sector.
•Conduct an audit of all concessions with various licenses and new applications which will allow the government to know licenses that have expired and non-compliance with licensing conditions.
- To encourage exploration, the Bawumia government will abolish the VAT on exploration services (like assaying) to encourage more exploration.
- We will establish, in collaboration with the private sector, a Minerals Development Bank to support the mining industry.
- We will establish (through the private sector) a London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) certified gold refinery in Ghana within four years.
- All responsibly mined small-scale gold produced will be sold to the central bank, PMMC or MIIF and will be required to be refined before export.”
Source: Citinewsroom.com
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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