President John Dramani Mahama has announced that members of Ghana’s Small-Scale Miners Association will soon embark on a study tour of Australia to learn sustainable mining practices.
Addressing journalists at a media encounter on Wednesday, Mahama emphasized that while small-scale mining is legal in Ghana, it is often carried out in ways that damage the environment. He said the study visit is intended to expose local miners to international best practices that balance mining with environmental protection.
“Small-scale mining takes place in Australia, it takes place in Canada. As I speak, we are organizing a trip for the Small-Scale Miners Association to Australia. Australia has given us an invitation to bring them to see how small-scale mining is done without destroying the environment. That is something we are going to take advantage of,” he stated.
The initiative is being spearheaded by the Gold Board in partnership with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources as part of ongoing reforms to make the sector more responsible and beneficial.
Mahama highlighted the importance of small-scale mining to the economy, noting that it supports the livelihoods of about four million Ghanaians. He stressed the need to regulate and train miners to ensure the sector contributes positively to national development.
He further disclosed that the Gold Board is rolling out tracking and tracing systems to guarantee that only legitimate miners are able to export gold. This, he explained, would help Ghana meet international standards under the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA).
The President reiterated his commitment to providing miners with training and access to financing so they can boost production while minimizing environmental destruction.
