Member of Parliament for Takoradi, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has proposed an ambitious 12-point reset agenda to fundamentally restructure Ghana’s mining sector, arguing that empowering local communities and decentralising decision-making are key to ending illegal mining and environmental destruction.
The Takoradi legislator who is also the immediate past Western Regional Minister said Ghana’s current approach to mining governance has failed to adequately address the challenges of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, while also denying mining communities their fair share of benefits from the country’s vast mineral wealth.
Presenting his proposals under the theme, “What Reset Are You Proposing?”, Mr Darko-Mensah outlined a comprehensive framework that seeks to move mining regulation from Accra to the districts, increase community participation and promote responsible and sustainable mining practices.
At the heart of the proposal is the decentralisation of all mining licences to the district level with traditional authorities playing a central role through existing District Mining Committees established by law.
According to him, all mining licence applications should begin and end at the district level to improve accountability and local ownership.
He further proposed a new revenue-sharing formula from mining proceeds, with 18 per cent allocated to mining communities for development and investment, two per cent to district administrations, five per cent for reclamation, replanting and environmental restoration, another five per cent for royalties and the remaining 70 per cent directed into the national coffers.
Mr Darko-Mensah argued that such a model is feasible, noting that large-scale mining companies already make significant contributions to the state through taxes, royalties, corporate social responsibility initiatives and other statutory payments.
He also called for the introduction of a mobile licensing regime to regularise the activities of all miners, particularly rock miners, whom he described as generally causing less environmental damage compared to alluvial miners.
In a move aimed at professionalising the sector, the Takoradi MP proposed that every mining licence holder should be assigned a qualified engineer to supervise operations and enforce standards relating to safety, water pollution prevention, land restoration and the proper use of approved chemicals.
He said this would create employment opportunities for professionals while helping Ghana establish a globally recognised and responsible gold mining brand.
To address pollution of water bodies, Mr Darko-Mensah advocate the establishment of centralised processing centres and tailing dams for alluvial miners.
He said a transportation cost-sharing mechanism, similar to systems used in the cocoa and fuel sectors, could make such facilities affordable to miners while ensuring environmentally friendly processing methods.
The legislator also proposed a major restructuring of the shareholding composition of GoldBod, suggesting that government ownership be reduced from 100 per cent to 40 per cent.
Under his proposal, miners would own 25 per cent, traders 20 per cent and traditional authorities 15 per cent.
He explained that broader stakeholder participation would improve policy implementation and promote collective responsibility in tackling environmental degradation, town planning and responsible mineral sourcing.
On environmental restoration, Mr Darko-Mensah proposed that local licensing committees should directly oversee reclamation and replanting programmes in partnership with local mining associations.
He cited global evidence indicating that investments in land reclamation projects generate significant economic returns and should therefore be treated as viable development opportunities rather than mere expenditure.
The Takoradi MP further called for the establishment of a dedicated mining bank to provide legitimate financing for miners and reduce dependence on illicit funding sources often associated with environmentally destructive practices.
He also suggested that abandoned mine sites and old shafts belonging to large-scale mining companies should be converted into community mining concessions under a tributer system to create jobs for young people and reduce the appeal of illegal mining.
Mr Darko-Mensah further proposed a deliberate redevelopment and regeneration of mining towns through projects supervised by Regional Coordinating Councils with dedicated funding from central government.
According to him, mining communities deserve visible development that reflects the substantial revenues generated for the state.
In another proposal, he recommended that licensing for development minerals be decentralised to the regional level.
To strengthen surveillance, he called for the deployment of solar-powered CCTV systems to support river guards monitoring Ghana’s major water bodies.
Finally, he proposed the direct engagement and payment of community members to protect forest reserves from illegal miners using revenues generated from carbon credit schemes.
Mr Darko-Mensah said Ghana must shift from criminalising mining as an economic activity to creating systems that promote responsible extraction while protecting the environment and ensuring communities derive meaningful benefits from the country’s natural resources.
He maintained that only a bold restructuring of the sector would deliver a sustainable balance between economic growth, environmental protection and job creation.
By: Christian Kpesese
