The President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, has called for a more balanced national assessment of Ghana's mining industry.

According to him, the sector's economic contribution must be considered alongside its impact on communities, the environment and future generations.

Speaking at the National Mining Dialogue on Tuesday, August 18, Mr Dwumfour said journalists had a responsibility to provide the public with a comprehensive picture of the mining sector by reporting both its achievements and its shortcomings.

He said the media's role should not be limited to highlighting the revenue, investment and employment generated by mining, but should also examine the wider consequences of mineral extraction.

“As journalists, we must be fair to report what is working, just as we must be courageous enough to report what is not working,” Mr Dwumfour said.

The event was organised by Asempa 94.7 FM and its flagship programme, Ekosiisen, in partnership with Semmis DS and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, Accra.

Mr Dwumfour cautioned against evaluating the mining industry solely through economic indicators such as revenue, foreign exchange earnings, investment and employment.

He said a meaningful assessment of the sector must also examine who benefits from mining, who carries its costs and what happens to communities and the environment after mineral resources have been exhausted.

“But economic contribution cannot be the only measure of value,” he said. “We must also ask: at what cost, who benefits, who bears the consequences, and what are we leaving behind when the minerals are gone?”

The questions, he suggested, should form part of the national conversation about the future of mining.

He said abandoning mining altogether would neither be realistic nor responsible, given the importance of the sector to Ghana's economy and the country's substantial mineral resources.

“I am not suggesting that Ghana should turn its back on mining. That will be neither realistic nor responsible,” he said.

Instead, he said the central question should be about the type of mining the country is prepared to accept.

“The question rather is: what kind of mining is Ghana prepared to accept?” he asked.

Mr Dwumfour outlined what he believes should constitute an acceptable mining model for Ghana.

He said mining should create economic value while simultaneously respecting communities and meeting environmental standards.

In his view, a responsible mining industry should be built around several fundamental principles: economic value creation, respect for host communities, strict compliance with environmental requirements and a clear contribution to national development.

He called for “mining that creates economic value, mining that respects communities, mining that meets all environmental standards and mining that contributes to national development without leaving economic debts for future generations”.