Samuel A. Jinapor
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has affirmed the government’s resolve to work harder to sanitise the lands and natural resources sector of the country.
He said lands and natural resources ought to be protected and managed for the benefit of the people and for accelerated development.
Explaining the ministry’s plans for the year on GTV Breakfast Show in Accra yesterday, Mr. Jinapor who doubles as the MP for Damongo in the Savannah Region said “the government is not relenting in its efforts to sanitise the lands and natural resources sector through appropriate policies and regulations.
“The commitment of President Akufo-Addo to ensure the sustainable and efficient management of the lands and natural resources of the country, anchored on integrity and transparency is total and unflinching and the government will be relentless, totally committed, and enhance all the measures that have been put in place to come to grips with the matters of illegal mining.”
He said even though illegal mining is persisting, the government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and its agencies, has worked to bring the menace under reasonable control.
“Government’s interventions in this area have largely been two-fold, regulatory and enforcement. In the area of regulation, the Minerals Commission, including resourcing the Inspectorate Division of the Commission, digitalisation of the Minerals Commission, the introduction of online application for mineral rights, and the revamping of the Community Mining Schemes are being done.”
He added that “on enforcement, the declaration of water bodies and Forest Reserves as Red Zones for mining, the ban on reconnaissance, prospecting and/or exploration for minerals in Forest Reserves, the introduction of Operation Halt II, the tracking of earthmoving equipment and machines for mining, among others are being pursued.”
The minister emphasised that the Akufo-Addo-led administration is not against small scale mining, but is rather ensuring everything is legally regulated to prevent environmental degradation.
“The government has developed a Manual for Community Mining Scheme, which seeks to ensure that community mining is done in an environmentally sound manner. The manual requires that Community Mining Schemes have sick bays, changing rooms, concurrent reclamation and revegetation, functioning offices, and environmental officers on site,” the minister said.
He added that the Regional, Municipal and District Security Councils have been tasked to lead the fight against illegalities in the mining sector and a national taskforce has been provided to give them a helping hand.
He called on all communities to support this fight as the communities bear the brunt of the consequences of illegal mining.
The minister said the government is committed to protecting the forest cover of our country, while implementing an aggressive afforestation programme to restore the lost forest cover, and called on the public to support the afforestation programme, particularly the Green Ghana Project, which will see to the planting of at least 20 million trees this year.