[ 2016-09-14 ]

Committees to manage small-scale mining in districts
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has
begun a process to establish and implement
monitoring mechanisms in the communities as part
of measures to enhance land and natural resource
administration in the country.

In that regard, 24 district mining committees
(DMCs) have been established to manage small-scale
mining, while efforts have also been stepped up
under the local content initiative to increase the
number of local products used by mining
companies.

Taking his turn at the meet the press series in
Accra yesterday, the Minister of Lands and Natural
Resources, Nii Osah Mills, said the complex
challenges that undermined land and natural
resource administration required effective
stakeholder collaboration to overcome.

Agencies under the ministry, such as the Office of
the Administrator of Stool Lands (OASL), the
Geological Survey Department (GSD) and the
Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC), were
represented at the event.

Mining sector

On the mining sub-sector, Nii Osah said the key
challenge that the ministry had been grappling
with over the years was illegal mining, a practice
that had deprived most communities of potable
water and agricultural land.

He said the illegal mining menace, high cost of
production and fluctuating commodity prices had
derailed the huge expectation of society in the
sector, a reason for which he called on all
stakeholders to collaborate to boost the sector.

He said the minerals and mining policy was
launched in the first quarter of this year to
provide a strategic framework to guide operations
in the mining sector.

According to him, the ministry was finalising a
computerised system in line with the Minerals and
Mining Act, Act 703, under a bilateral agreement
with the Australian government.

“When completed, the system will ensure
effectiveness, accountability and compliance in
the management of mineral rights to boost
investment,” he said.

Land administration

Touching on land administration, Nii Osah said the
ministry had established five clients service
access units (CSAU) on a pilot basis to serve as
front offices for the Lands Commission that would
provide a platform for land service delivery.

The initiative, currently operational in
Bolgatanga, Tamale, Sekondi, Koforidua and Accra,
he said, would ensure standardised and
decentralised procedure for land administration,
particularly land registration.

“The CSAUs are promoting speedy issuance of land
title certificates, as well as deeds registration,
with the view to reducing time wasting in land
administration services,” he added.

Nii Osah announced that the ministry, through the
Land Administration Project (LAP2), had advanced
work on the Ghana Enterprise Land Information
System (GLEIS) to enable the Lands Commission to
move on to a digital regime.

Forest resources

On the management of forest resources, he said the
ministry had rolled out programmes and strategies
that would sustain a resilient and productive
forest and wildlife.

He said under the Ghana Shared Growth and
Opportunities Development Agenda II, the ministry
had implemented projects aimed at promoting
forestry protection, restoration of degraded
forest, conservation of wildlife and biodiversity
management.

“One of the major achievements of the ministry
is the development of the Ghana Forestry
Development Master Plan which will span 2016 to
2036. The master plan will create a balance
between forest products and marketing to satisfy
domestic and international demand, while ensuring
good governance and transparency,” he added.

Nii Osah called on law enforcement officers in the
forestry sector to be diligent in the line of duty
in order to curb tendencies that degraded the
environment.

Source - graphic.com.gh

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