President John Dramani Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has announced that the government plans to implement a resource management framework aimed at enhancing local participation in the natural resource sector.
He emphasised that the government is committed to ensuring that Ghanaians derive maximum benefit from mining and natural resource exploration.
The president made these remarks in relation to the recent renewal of the Gold Fields Damang Mine lease.
Speaking in a video posted by Citi TV on X, he said, “Recently, we had a little issue, which we have resolved, with one of our mining companies whose lease had expired after 30 years. It was our desire to take it over and use Ghanaian expertise to exploit that resource, allowing the benefits to remain in our country.
“Happily, we reached an amicable resolution to work together to transition the mine into Ghanaian ownership. This brings me to a broader point—I believe we must have an indigenisation program to take control of some of our natural resources. In the next few months, we’ll develop a policy on indigenous participation in natural resource exploitation.”
President John Dramani Mahama added that, moving forward, local stakeholders will be engaged to ensure Ghanaians benefit directly from the exploitation of the country’s resources.
He clarified that no one’s concession would be expropriated, but when leases come up for renewal, the government will negotiate for greater Ghanaian involvement.
“You go to the mining areas and look at the communities surrounding these mining centers, they are still steeped in poverty. The government is left to replace schools, plant trees, build CHPS compounds, repair roads, and more.
“We can only address these challenges if we secure more revenue from the natural resource endowments that God has given us. So yes, we will codify this policy, and as opportunities arise, we will renegotiate some of these arrangements to increase Ghanaian participation,” he said.
SSD/MA
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