The Hon Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Samuel Abdulai Jinapor has disclosed that the mining sector alone especially gold brought in a whopping 6.6 billion dollars to the country in 2022 through export earnings. This huge figure according to the minister represents taxes, local contents supplies and services and actual export earnings . This came to light when the sector Minister met the press at the information ministry at the Minister’s Press Briefing in Accra. He postulated that very soon four new mining companies would be added to the existing ones to mine gold and other minerals like lithium,Cobalt,iron ore and gold at various parts of the country . Some old monies are also being resurrected and reactivated like Prestea and Obuasold mines to contribute to the proceeds of the sector. He intimated that local content that used to be 29 % has been increased to 50 % and most of the mining working tools and services are provided by Ghanaians. He also indicated that most of the mineral ores would soon be processed here in Ghana to enable us get more value for our minerals. He lamented that the world has 13.5 billion dollars chocolate market but Ghana and Cote D’ Ivoire who produce 80 of the raw beans get a paltry $6.5 bn .This is as a result of exporting it in raw state. That’s why the president has set up the Gold refinery with Royal Gold to refine the gold for better bargain. In the same vain the president has set up the composite Aluminium Integrated Grid to process all Bauxite, maganeze, iron here to attract better price . He assured the nation that the war against illegal mining, (GALAMSEY ) is on course but he admitted that it can’t be done over night. This is because like elsewhere in the world illegal mining war is not very easy because there is the element of cash being the overriding factor . In the case of the turbidity of the water bodies he indicated that there is marked in the rivers improvement but some intensive work needs to be done to ensure total cleanliness of the water bodies. He reiterated that the ban in the mining in the forests reserves and and river bodies describing those areas and ‘RED ZONES’. The minister told the Press that people found mining in these areas were apprehended and handed over to the Police for legal action. It also came to light that the registration of minining equipment and fixing of tracking devices on excavators are still on-goning. Much as he would not rule out ongoing illegal mining in some parts of the country he would also ascribe to the fact that good practices of mining pertain in some parts of the country. He showed his ecstasy about the contribution of the mining sector to our GDP ,employment opportunities and income derived from it by Ghanaians without which life would have been extremely dire for some people.
