The government of Ghana has officially launched a comprehensive new programme aimed at overhauling the country’s artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector, to promote sustainable employment and environmental rehabilitation across mining communities.

According to a statement released on Monday, August 4, the initiative, known as the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP), has received Cabinet approval following a proposal by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.

The programme consolidates two earlier schemes the Community Mining Scheme (CMS) and the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAELP) into a single, integrated approach.

According to the Ministry, rCOMSDEP aligns with the vision of President John Dramani Mahama to create lasting employment through responsible, community-led mining operations that also address environmental degradation and socioeconomic disparity.

At the core of the programme is the promotion of locally owned mining cooperatives, which will benefit from legal concessions, professional training, and access to shared processing facilities fitted with modern gold recovery technologies and water treatment systems.

These facilities will operate under strict environmental guidelines, aiming to eliminate the use of mercury in gold extraction, a long-standing concern in Ghana’s ASM sector.

Skills Development at the Heart of the Transformation

The programme places strong emphasis on skills training, offering vocational, technical, agricultural, digital, and entrepreneurial education, particularly targeting youth and women to provide viable alternatives to mining-based livelihoods and promote self-employment.

rCOMSDEP is built around three key objectives:

1. Promote and regulate environmentally responsible cooperative mining
2. Restore lands degraded by illegal mining for productive use
3. Provide wide-ranging skills training for alternative employment

These objectives will be realised through six strategic pillars:

• Cooperative Mining Scheme: Establishing community-owned mines with centralised, mercury-free processing plants.
• Mine Support Services: Supplying equipment leasing, geological surveying, safety training, and regulatory guidance.
• Vocational Training and Entrepreneurship: Delivering accredited courses in mining, maintenance, and non-mining skills, with a focus on youth and women.
• Environmental Rehabilitation: Reclaiming and reforesting damaged lands to restore biodiversity and generate green jobs.
• Agricultural Value Chain Development: Developing farming cooperatives and agro-processing facilities in partnership with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
• Community Infrastructure Development: Investing mining revenue into potable water, schools, healthcare, and renewable energy to uplift mining communities.

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is calling on all relevant stakeholders, including traditional leaders, civil society organisations, private sector actors, and local youth groups, to engage with and support rCOMSDEP.

“This is not simply a mining reform. It is a transformation of livelihoods, communities, and ecosystems,” said a Ministry spokesperson. “We believe this programme will set a new standard for inclusive and sustainable development in Ghana’s resource sector.”