The CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Sulemanu Koney, has voiced concerns over the lack of transparency and equity in the distribution of mining revenues in Ghana.

Speaking on Joy News' PM Express Business Edition on Thursday, September 19, he lamented that most mining revenues, particularly corporate taxes, stay in Accra, leaving mining communities like Obuasi and Tarkwa with little to no benefit.

Mr Koney explained that while corporate tax payments from mining companies are significant, surpassing royalties, these funds rarely make their way to the communities that bear the brunt of mining operations.

“The reality, if you ask ourselves questions, is: Is it morally right that practically none of that specifically goes to communities for development?” he quizzed.

He argued that even the royalties allocated to mining communities are insufficient and arrive irregularly, contributing to the underdevelopment of these areas.

“For the average Ghanaian, they go to Obuasi and Tarkwa and see the poor state of the communities, and they ask, ‘Where are the benefits of mining?’ Meanwhile, the real benefits are in Accra,” Mr Koney noted.

Despite the implementation of the Mineral Development Fund Act in 2016, Koney stated that much more needs to be done to ensure that mining revenues are channelled to the communities.

He called for a portion of corporate taxes to be directed to local development, stating, “If we want to see the transformation of Obuasi and Tarkwa, we should send a lot more money there.”