The Ghanaian Government has launched two Community Mining Schemes (CMS) at Moseaso-Abransie in the Manso-Nkwanta District of the Ashanti Region. This development brings the total number of CMS nationwide to 23, aiming to create a total of 7,500 direct jobs for the local communities. Mr. George Mireku Duker, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to promoting responsible and sustainable small-scale mining practices.
The newly launched Manso-Nkwanta and Moseaso-Abransie Schemes will respectively create 4,500 and 3,000 direct and indirect jobs, benefiting the residents of the two communities and surrounding areas. Since its inception in 2019, the CMS has provided approximately one million job opportunities in the small-scale mining industry.
Mr. Duker highlighted the significant contribution of small-scale mining, which has generated over one million jobs, compared to the paltry 30,000 jobs offered by large-scale mining. He questioned the calls for an outright ban on small-scale mining and instead championed the potential of the CMS in eradicating poverty and promoting local entrepreneurship.
While underscoring the CMS’s positive impacts, Mr. Duker called on the chiefs and people of the Manso-Nkwanta District and Ghanaians at large to support the government’s efforts in combating activities that harm water bodies and the environment. He urged the management of the CMS to strictly adhere to the Scheme’s manual and ensure unity and peaceful coexistence between the companies and the mining communities for successful operations.
Mr. Nii Larteh Ollenu, the District Chief Executive for Amansie West, commended the Ministry and the Minerals Commission for their innovative programs aimed at reducing the unemployment rate in the district. Mr. George Obeng Takyi, the Member of Parliament for Manso Nkwanta constituency, emphasized that small-scale mining is reserved for Ghanaians, and he pledged to enforce mining protocols across all Community Mining Schemes.
The launch of the two CMS in the Ashanti Region is seen as a positive step towards creating sustainable livelihoods for local communities while promoting responsible mining practices and environmental protection.
