Dr Tony Aubynn, the Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Election Committee on Mining, Wednesday commended small-scale miners for their commitment to safeguarding the party’s votes in mining constituencies during the 2024 election.
Speaking to the media in Kumasi after the announcement of former President John Dramani Mahama as the President-elect, Dr Aubynn emphasised the NDC’s resolve to transforming Ghana’s mining sector, particularly the small-scale mining subsector, which had long been plagued by illegal activities threatening the environment and water bodies.
The miners had shared their concerns during the party’s campaign, highlighting challenges in the small-scale mining industry.
He assured them that the NDC would address those issues by establishing Minerals Commission district offices in all mining areas to facilitate the issuance of licenses.
“Illegal mining became rampant in Ghana because miners were struggling to secure licenses from Accra,” Dr Aubynn said.
Small-scale miners had to travel long distances, often staying in hotels, just to chase licenses.
“When frustration sets in, many resort to illegal mining but under an NDC administration we will bring licensing offices closer to miners to simplify the process and enforce regulations effectively,” he said.
He outlined plans to replace the current Community Mining Scheme with a Cooperative Mining Scheme and criticised the New Patriotic Party-led government in its approach, claiming that it benefited Chinese nationals instead of local communities.
“Our Cooperative Mining Scheme will focus solely on empowering locals in mining communities.Unlike the NPP’s scheme, ours will be structured to serve the people directly.”
An NDC government would create a special fund to support cooperative mining activities, Dr Aubynn said, explaining that the fund would operate under the strict supervision of mining experts to ensure adherence to best practices and environmental protection.
He urged miners to rally behind the NDC to help reform the small-scale mining sector.
The NDC’s 2024 mining campaign team included Dr Aubynn and messieurs Samuel Hajor, Michael Kojo Preprah, Adjei Baffour Acquah, and Ebenezer Ayehu.
