Stakeholders in the mining sector have called for urgent review and amendment of the Minerals and Mining Act for the nation to derive optimum benefit from mining.
They also recommended the need for new negotiations on the payment of mining royalties, compensations and other benefits so that mining development in mining communities would be improved and to enhance the socio-economic livelihoods of people directly or indirectly affected by mining activities.
The stakeholders, comprising chiefs, queens and opinion leaders in mining affected communities, Civil Society Organizations, Assembly Members, Persons with Disabilities and women- led organisations made the call at a two-day validation workshop in Sunyani.
It was organised by the Center for Public Interest Law (CEPIL), an NGO in collaboration with Wacam, the Media Foundation for West Africa, with support from Oxfam in Ghana, all NGOs.
The workshop was also attended by representatives from government agencies, including the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, security services, coordinating directors and the National Association of Small Scale Mining.
It followed a study on human rights violations and abuses conducted by the CSOs in mining communities around the Newmont Ghana Gold Limited Akyem and Ahafo South Mines and aimed at exploring actionable recommendations to enhance accountability, governance and community resilience. .
The stakeholders expressed worry that certain provisions in the Act 703 had outlived their usefulness, paving way for mining companies to exploit the nation’s gold resources, saying amendment of the Act would be in the interest of the nation.
They also expressed regret about the disturbing trend of human rights abuses and violations in some mining communities, and therefore called on the government to ensure that mining companies strictly complied with provisions in the Act 703.
Osabarima Addai Asubonteng, the Ankobeahene (sub-chief) at the Bechem Traditional Area, indicated that the Act 703 ought to be reviewed and amended to ensure equitable and transparent distribution and utilization of mining revenue.
That would also promote environmental justice, and inclusive mining governance, and thereby promoting and guaranteeing responsible mining for environmental sustainability.
Osabarima Asubonteng called for the establishment of active community advocacy groups in mining communities to check and help control violent confrontations and agitations in mining areas.
“We want the government to ensure that mining communities also derive optimum benefits from the gold revenue too”, he stated.
Bernard Fosu, an Assembly Member at Techire, a mining community around the Newmont Ahafo North project in the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region stressed the need to sensitise and enlighten mining communities on the Act 703.
“Our privacy, dignity, tradition and culture have been trampled upon and mining companies ought to compensate us and also help preserve our tradition and culture too”, he stated, saying the Act ought to be reviewed to tackle the “injustices meted on mining communities”.
Earlier, Dr Samuel Obiri, the Executive Director of Centre for Environmental Impact Analysis (CEIA) took stakeholders through mining compensations, royalties and some provisions in the Act.
Mr Owusu Koranteng, the Executive Director, Wacam, urged the stakeholders to collaborate effectively in tackling the challenges affecting mining communities.