Minerals Commission Chief Executive Officer Isaac Tandoh has highlighted the Commission’s efforts to tackle “fronting” in Ghana’s mining sector, particularly the use of local entities as nominees for unregistered foreign miners.
Speaking at the Ministerial and CEO Roundtable at the Egypt Mining Forum, Mr Tandoh said addressing the practice was necessary to protect legitimate mining operations and resource revenues.
He said the Commission was strengthening efforts to clamp down on illegal mining operations while supporting the formalisation of small-scale mining through cooperatives.
The roundtable, hosted by the Africa Minerals Strategy Group and the Egypt Mining Forum, was held under the theme, “From Exploration to Markets: Strengthening Africa’s Geological Data, Mineral Value Chains, Responsible Sourcing and Long-term Supply Chain Security.”
Mr Tandoh represented the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, at the event, which brought together African ministers, regulatory authorities and investors to discuss the development and security of the continent’s mineral resources.
He said formalising small-scale mining could provide a pathway for rural communities to participate in the legal and sustainable development of mineral resources.
Mr Tandoh also highlighted Ghana’s digital regulatory reforms, including the Mining Cadastre Administration System (MCAS), which he said was supporting greater transparency in mining administration and investment.
He further called for African countries to move beyond the export of raw minerals towards processing and beneficiation to retain more value from the continent’s mineral resources.
