Deputy Lands Minister Calls for Reclamation Bonds and More Engineers to Tackle Mining Challenges

Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Alhaji Yusif Sulemana, has called for the introduction of mandatory reclamation bonds and the deployment of more engineers to the districts to strengthen mining regulation and environmental protection.

Speaking in Parliament on the Report of the Public Accounts Committee on the Followw-up Report of the Auditor-General on three Audits-Regulating Small-Scale Mining for a Sustainable Environment, Sustainability of Sports Stadia in Ghana and Administration of Scholarships by GETFund, Mr. Sulemana, who is also MP for , said the EPA and Minerals Commission have now fully implemented 29 recommendations from the report, with 25 others already implemented.

He disclosed that government is working to post more EPA officers to the districts. Some officers have already been recruited on contract, while others have been confirmed as permanent staff.

“Whilst we are looking for engineers to go and do this work at the district levels it is quite expensive... it is the chicken and egg situation,” he said. “The monies are not there for you to be able to employ more hands so that they can bring you the revenue.”

The Deputy Minister also said community mining committees that were supposed to be formed are now being set up and made functional in all mining districts.

On environmental damage, Mr. Sulemana raised concern over the lack of reclamation bonds.

“Many people get licenses to go and mine and they don't sign any reclamation bond... when they succeed in destroying the environment and they run away there's nothing for you to use to reclaim the lands,” he stated. He urged stakeholders to support a policy requiring every license holder to sign a reclamation bond.

He further announced that government will soon lay a bill to amend Act 703 to update mining laws, reduce the time it takes to get a license, and help the sector respond better to environmental needs.