The Vice Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has appealed to stakeholders in the mining industry to embrace Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s audacious solutions for the nation’s mining sector, which he says is a game changer.
According to him, these bold solutions will usher in a golden age for Ghanaian-owned small-scale mining for wealth and jobs, while promoting responsible and sustainable mining.
Addressing the chiefs and people of two key mining constituencies – Prestea Huni Valley and Mpohor in the Western Region, as part of his constituency-focused campaign tours on Sunday, Dr Prempeh emphasised that the NPP’s primary objective has always been to manage Ghana’s mineral resources in a way that benefits the people and stimulates economic growth without compromising the environment.
Napo, as he is affectionately called, noted that Dr Bawumia’s bold solutions, which shall include formalising, regularising and regulating environmentally sustainable small scale mining, will ultimately lead to a more responsible mining practices while assisting small-scale mining companies grow into larger enterprises through capacity building and providing access to financing for equipment acquisition.
“I can assure you that next NPP government under Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, will establish, in collaboration with the private sector, a Minerals Development Bank to support the mining industry.
“We will also set up a Pension Scheme for small scale miners like we have done for cocoa farmers. We have the credibility when we say we are going to do this because we have done it before”, he assured.
In respect of formalising the mining sector, the Vice Presidential Candidate said they will license all miners doing responsible mining, and create Districts Mining Committee including chiefs, which will provide initial temporary licenses to miners.
“And that, as long as miners mine within the limits of their licenses, there will be no seizure or burning of excavators. He stressed emphatically that there will be no mining in river or water bodies.”
On the basis of the foregoing, the NPP Running Mate urged the people to vote massively for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to become the next President of Ghana to implement his bold solutions for the mining sector.
“He also rallied the support of the good people of Prestea Huni Valley and Mpohor Constituencies for the NPP Parliamentary Candidates, Barbara Oteng Gyasi and John Kobina Sanie respectively.
