Bolgatanga, Aug 1 – In a bid to enhance the involvement of Ghanaians and increase benefits for local communities, Mr. Augustine Niber, a Legal Practitioner and Executive Director of the Center for Public Interest Law (CEPIL), has called on the government to amend Ghana’s Minerals and Mining Act of 2006, Act 703. Speaking at a paralegal training workshop in Bolgatanga, Mr. Niber emphasized the need to shift from a focus on attracting foreign direct investment to promoting equity and Ghanaian investment in the mining sector.
Currently, Ghana’s mining sector allows for extensive direct foreign investment, which Mr. Niber believes has led to foreigners benefiting more from the country’s mineral resources at the expense of Ghanaians. He urged for urgent amendments to the Act, emphasizing the importance of Ghanaian participation in the production and earning dividends from the mining sector. Beyond providing compensation and resettlement packages, Mr. Niber proposed making mining communities shareholders in the mining leases by engaging them in the decision-making process before awarding leases to mining companies, curbing conflicts between communities and investors.
The training workshop was part of the implementation of the “NaRAING II” project, which aims to establish Community Action Groups as accountability structures at the community level to monitor and report on mining companies’ activities, ensuring compliance with the law, human rights, and environmental regulations. Communities from various regions in Northern Ghana were selected to participate in the initiative, equipping participants with advocacy and communication skills to negotiate for better compensations and resettlement packages from mining companies.
