By: Christian Kpesese
The Member of Parliament for Tarkwa Nsuaem, Issah Salifu Taylor, is advocating for enhanced government support to help small-scale miners in his constituency transition to sustainable and legally compliant mining practices.
The lawmaker made the call on the floor of Parliament in a parliamentary question to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources on what measures the Ministry is adopting to support miners in Tarkwa Nsuaem to transition toward sustainable mining.
Responding to the Tarkwa Nsuaem MP’s query, sector minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah said a number of licensed small-scale miners in the constituency are already operating in environmentally responsible ways, using mercury-free technologies such as Gold Kacha and Sika Bukyia and working under the supervision of the Minerals Commission.
He noted, however, that illegal mining activities persist in areas such as Dompim, Simpa, Nsuaem, Bonsa, Bedukrom, Esuoso and Asuogya, posing a significant threat to land, water bodies and community livelihoods.
To address the situation, the Minister outlined a comprehensive set of interventions aimed at improving legal compliance, curbing environmental destruction and supporting miners through formalisation.
Among the measures are:
- Streamlining the licensing regime to reduce delays and strengthen District Mining Committees and small-scale mining associations to manage operations at the local level.
- Demarcating more block-out areas dedicated to small-scale mining to prevent encroachment on large-scale concessions and operations in restricted zones.
- Geologically assessing the blocked-out areas so operators can work in viable deposits instead of engaging in destructive trial-and-error practices.
- Establishing Cooperative Mining Schemes under rCOMSDEP to transition illegal miners into regulated, community-based ventures that create alternative employment opportunities.
- Decentralising the Minerals Commission, including the expansion of office facilities and construction of a new Tarkwa office to increase the number of mine inspectors and technical support available to operators.
- Strengthening enforcement, including the deployment of 1,000 Blue Water Guards to protect river bodies and continued training for miners on responsible practices.
Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah said these interventions supported under initiatives such as the World Bank’s Ghana Landscape Restoration and Small-Scale Mining Project are expected to drive a significant shift toward sustainable mining in Tarkwa Nsuaem and surrounding communities.
He emphasized that the government remains committed to balancing economic activity with environmental stewardship.
“We believe the initiatives outlined will facilitate the shift toward sustainable and legally compliant mining practices, fostering environmental protection and advancing community development within the Tarkwa-Nsuaem area,” the Minister concluded.
