Dr. Steve Manteaw, representative of the Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GHEITI) is warning that if the country is serious about monitoring activities in its mining space, then it needs to retool the agencies with the mandate to monitor.
He stated the Minerals Commission which is to liaise with other governmental agencies, notably the Bank of Ghana, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), to ensure that the spirit of the sector’s fiscal regime is maintained; has only a small unit headed by an inspector with a deputy.
“The commission is constrained given the number of small scale-miners as well as large ones. They have no permanent presence in all the mines while they have to set the rules and supervise the health and safety units of these mines,” he declared.
The Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) chairman called for a beefing of the commission with personnel, logistics and resources.
The Minerals Commission (MC) is a government agency established under Article 269 of the 1992 Constitution and the Minerals Commission Act 1993, Act 450. The Minerals Commission as the main promotional and regulatory body for the minerals sector in Ghana is responsible for “the regulation and management of the utilization of the mineral resources of Ghana and the coordination and implementation of policies relating to mining. It also ensures compliance with Ghana’s Mining and Mineral Laws and Regulation through effective monitoring.
It investigates the background, process applications for mineral rights and recommend their grant or otherwise to the Minister.
By Michael Eli Dokosi/goldstreetbusiness.com