The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources responsible for Mines, George Mireku Duker, has, on behalf of the Sector Minister, Samuel A. Jinapor, called on the various mining companies in the country to deepen their local content policy in favour of indigenes of the communities they operate in.
He made the call when he engaged the executives of the Ghana Mines Workers Union (GMWU) at a brief meeting on Monday, 22nd August, 2022 to, among others, discuss ways of collaborating with the Ministry to build a more robust mining sector.
He revealed that the government had been on these companies to roll out local content polices to favour the indigenes of the various communities in which they operate, stressing that notwithstanding, government will, however, not relent on ensuring that mining companies do the right thing.
“We wouldn’t want a situation where the mine or the concessionaire will elapse their mining life and get away without giving the hard working Ghanaians what they are due and this is what we want to frown on.”
He added that as these mining companies make profit in their venture, they must do so collaboratively and also link whatsoever gains they make with their entire workforce and this, he described, as the “right thing” the Ministry and government expect from the various mining companies.
Duker further explained that local content is not only about welfare, but also making available part of their concessions to the Ghanaian workers by way of outsourcing some of their production activities, technological advancements among others.
He acknowledged the challenges tabled by the workers union and commended them for addressing their grievance appropriately through the right quarters.
He assured the executives that the Ministry will continue to engage the Ghana Chamber of Mines and the Union to coordinate and bridge all the gabs “we will ensure we dot all the ‘Is’ and cross all the ‘Ts’.”
In response to the issues raised by the Minister on incentives to motivate miners, the Chairman of the Ghana Mines Workers Union, Mr. Kwarku Mensah Gyakari, said all miners in the big mining companies including Newmont Ghana work on fixed term contract which means miners leave after two years.
“When we enquired from Newmont Ghana, we were told that the laws of Ghana allows it and they have no option to do so,” he said.
