Samuel Jinapor, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources has advised the Ghana Chamber of Mines to take up lead role in the fight against illegal mining, as the government also takes all the necessary measures to deal with the menace.
“The occasional clashes between illegal miners and your employees will be a thing of the past if we join hands together to deal with illegal mining and develop our mining communities,” he said.
He also called on the Chamber to join hands with the government and the Ministry to build a viable and sustainable mining industry, which will go a long way to benefit the Ghanaian economy and the Ghanaian people.
Jinapor was speaking at the 5th Human Resource Conference of the Chamber, on the theme – Transforming People, Management for a Sustainable Mining Industry in Ghana – at Obuasi in the Ashanti Region, on Wednesday, this week.
He applauded the efforts of the Chamber since its establishment in 1928, saying “the Ghana Chamber of Mines has continued to play a critical role in the exploitation and management of our natural resources and this Conference, which brings together Human Resource professionals to deliberate on issues of human capital within the mining industry, is yet another testament of your commitment to efficient exploitation of our natural resources.”
He added that government considers the Ghana Chamber of Mines as a true partner and intends to continue to collaborate closely with it, in moving the all-important mining industry forward.
According to him, despite the unprecedented developments in science and technology, which is revolutionising the way people live and work, “human capital remains crucial to the success of every industry” and that there was the need for Human Resource Professionals to attract and retain new talents to meet the industry’s future demands.
The Minister asserted that building a sustainable mining industry requires that Managers incorporate into every aspect of the industry, Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Principles, which have become the basic standards globally, for regulating and evaluating institutional performance based on environmental responsibility, social welfare and economic growth.
He argued that motivation, fair treatment and better remuneration are important for the mining workforce, which is particularly associated with many risks.
He highly commended the Ghana Chamber of Mines for instituting the Best Mine in Diversity and Inclusion award, as part of the Ghana Mining Industry Awards.
This, he said, demonstrates the Chamber’s understanding of the need for diversity and inclusion in the workforce of the mining industry.
The Managing Director for Anglogold Ashanti Obuasi Mine and Chairman for the occasion, Dr. Eric Asubonteng, on his part said if Ghana could achieve the targeted aim of becoming the Mining Hub of Africa, then stakeholders must take deliberate steps to beef up the workforce.
“In the Ghana Mining industry, if we are truly going to realise the vision we have set for ourselves to make Ghana the mining hub of West Africa and Africa as a whole, then we must be deliberate about nurturing the workforce, skilled in the required practical and modern mining methods,” he said.
He tabled a number of challenges the Mine has faced since the last Human Resource Conference, noting that to address these Challenges, all stakeholders ought to be proactive in strategies, and from an HR perspective strengthen the employer value proposition.
Dr. Asubonteng said their vision as a Mine which is to be safe and viable tier one and stated that it is at peace with its stakeholders, adding that this vision cannot be realised without the right human resource management wing.
“Human Resource managers must, therefore, intensify efforts to transform the industry through comprehensive people-management practices and finding innovative ways to boost the effectiveness and efficiency of our people.”
Appreciating the need and importance of the Conference, Mr. Sulemanu Koney, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, said there was the need for the Human Resource Managers to constantly update themselves to do better at their jobs and meet up with the competition and world standards
He touted a number of initiatives the Chamber has embarked on to support the human capital development in the mining sector mentioning an $804,000 research grant presented to the University of Mines and Technology, as an example.
He gave an assurance that the Chamber would continue to support the industry with innovative and relevant training modules that will help train and develop a pipeline of talents and skills for the industry and for Ghana as a whole.
