The Member of Parliament for Davis Opoku Ansah has supported calls opposing the renewal of Gold Fields’ lease for the Tarkwa Mine, insisting that Ghana must adopt a new approach to managing its mineral resources to secure greater economic benefit for the country.

According to the Mpraeso lawmaker, Ghana’s continued dependence on support from the International Monetary Fund reflects long-standing weaknesses in the country’s economic structure despite its abundant natural resources.

He argued that successive governments have failed to maximise the value derived from the nation’s mineral wealth.

Mr Opoku Ansah further questioned why mining communities continue to face developmental challenges while multinational mining firms record significant profits from operations in Ghana.

He cited communities such as Tarkwa and Obuasi, which he said still struggle with poor infrastructure and limited social amenities despite years of mining activity.

Speaking in an interview on Channel One TV on Wednesday, May 13, the MP said, “We need to appreciate that Ghana, as a country, in the last 40 years, has been to the IMF 17 times. What this tells us is that Ghana is rich in resources but very poor in our value retention.”

He added, “We cannot keep on exporting gold,” stressing the need for Ghana to use the ongoing discussions around mining lease renewals to secure stronger national benefits from its natural resources.

He maintained that the debate surrounding the Tarkwa Mine lease renewal presents an opportunity for Ghana to reassess its mining policies and ensure that the country retains a greater share of the wealth generated from its extractive sector.