Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, has announced that District Mining Committee’s will begin to issue mining licenses at the local levels under the new Mining and Minerals Act.
Speaking at the launch of Ellembelle Cooperative Mining Societies at Nkroful, Mr Armah-Kofi Buah, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle, explained that acquisition of mining licenses would start from the district where the mining company wants to operate.
That, he said would end the practice of going through rigorous processes by travelling to Accra in pursuit of mining licenses.
The Ellembelle District Mining Cooperative Societies are Nkroful-Atomic, Kikam, Salma, Asanda, Bomoakpole and Nzema-Akropong.
The Minister charged the mining cooperatives to be guided by the training to engage in responsible mining without destroying the environment, land and water bodies and cautioned them to operate within their concessions and not trespass to undertake illegal mining activities.
Mr Armah-Kofi Buah said responsible cooperative mining was to replace illegal mining popularly called galamsey which has ravaged lands and river bodies in the last decade.
He said under the new mining act, mining companies would sign an agreement with host communities dubbed “Community Development Agreement” which would ensure a legal agreement with the communities within the mining lease.
Mr Joseph Anyimiah, Deputy CEO of the Minerals Commission, said the Commission would ensure that the cooperatives mined within the regulations of the Mining and Minerals Act.
He reminded the cooperatives to set aside a percentage of proceeds accruing from their operations for reclamation and development of the communities.
Mr Joseph Armah Agyekum, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ellembelle, called for unity to protect the land, river bodies and forest reserves amid responsible mining.
Nana Kwasi Kutua V, Chief of Nkroful, who chaired the function, commended the Mr Armah-Kofi Buah, Buah for the commitment to restore degraded lands, water bodies and forest reserves.