The Ministry for Lands and Natural Resources has urged operators under the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) to set aside part of their earnings for land reclamation to restore degraded mining sites.

The Deputy Minister, Dr Yusif Sulemana, said the cooperatives must adopt reclamation measures similar to those required of large-scale mining companies to ensure that mined-out lands are restored and the environment protected after mining operations end.

Dr Sulemana made the call at the launch of the Ahanta West and Mpohor-Fiase Responsible Cooperative Mines at Awunakrom in the Western Region.

He said the government would sustain the formalisation of small-scale mining operations under rCOMSDEP across successive administrations.

The launch brings to two the number of Responsible Cooperative Mines inaugurated under the programme in the Western Region.

According to the Deputy Minister, the initiative seeks to formalise small-scale mining activities outside forest reserves while ensuring that host communities and their respective assemblies benefit from the operations.

• Read also: Gov’t launches rCOMSDEP in Ahanta West, Mpohor Fiase to promote responsible community mining

He said the programme would also address concerns about people from outside communities undertaking mining activities without adequately benefiting the local population.

“In addition to legitimising their operations through formalisation and ensuring adherence to mining regulations, this will bring an end to the situation where people come from outside a community to undertake community mining at the expense of the local people,” he said.

Dr Sulemana stressed that environmental restoration was a key requirement under the programme, adding that the Ministry would monitor production volumes to determine how much operators must reserve for reclamation.

“As long as they dig and destroy the surface of the land, we have encouraged them, and it is part of the policy guidelines that they should put aside some money which will be used to reclaim the land.

“We are also linking them to the Forestry Commission, which can provide seedlings and planting materials. We are also going to monitor their production volumes to determine how much they have to put aside for reclamation,” he added.

The Deputy Minister further disclosed that the Ministry had set a target of registering at least 50 certified Responsible Cooperative Mines by the end of 2026.

At the ceremony, Dr Sulemana, on behalf of the Ministry, presented certificates of registration and operational permits to Charles Ahiati, promoter of the Ahanta West and Mpohor-Fiase Responsible Cooperative Mines.

The cooperative was described at the launch as the first joint mining operation involving the two areas.