2024 Election: Mahama promises to establish district mining offices nationwide
John Dramani Mahama
Former President John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has pledged to institute district mining offices across all mining zones within the country.
Read full articleSpeaking to small-scale miners in Nsutem of the Fanteawkwa South Constituency in the Eastern Region, Mahama concluded his Building Ghana Tour of the Region on Thursday, February 1, with this ambitious commitment.
In these proposed district mining offices, Mahama outlined plans to station officers from both the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These officers will be responsible for receiving and processing applications for mining licenses, ensuring compliance with regulations, and supervising small-scale mining operations to uphold industry standards.
"Every district will have a district mining office, and in the district mining office, we will have a Minerals Commission officer and an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officer." He further elaborated, "If you want to apply for a mining license, you apply to your district office. When you are mining, they will come and supervise and make sure you are doing the right thing," he stated.
Additionally, Mahama announced plans to engage graduates from the University of Mines and Technology at Tarkwa in the initiative. According to him, these young mining engineers will be assigned to small-scale miners to impart knowledge on safe mining practices, aiming to mitigate accidents and promote efficient mining operations.
