The CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Sulemanu Koney, has outlined practical solutions to fix the issues plaguing small-scale mining.

In an interview on Joy News’ PM Express Business Edition on Thursday, he called for a holistic approach that not only enforces regulations but also addresses gaps in training, supervision, and monitoring.

Mr Koney stressed the need for more structured supervision within the small-scale mining sector, pointing out that many current practices are ad-hoc and lack transparency.

“As we speak, we don’t even have accurate numbers for small-scale mining production. What we have is just a proxy for production, but it’s not export-free for all,” Koney revealed.

The Chamber of Mines CEO believes the solution lies in adopting best practices from the large-scale mining sector.

He suggested that technical professionals from universities, especially those from the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), be specifically trained for small-scale mining to close the supervision gap.

“We employ students from the University of Mines and Technology and other universities for large-scale mining. Why can’t we have a similar setup for small-scale mining? Technical persons should be purposefully trained to address the challenges with supervision,” Mr Koney proposed.

To ensure better enforcement of the law, Koney highlighted that small-scale mining should not be a “free-for-all” activity.

He suggested implementing co-regulation efforts with the private sector, alongside government agencies like the Minerals Commission.

This, he believes, will help standardise practices and bring accountability to the sector.

“We need to up the ante when it comes to supervision and monitoring. It cannot be a free-for-all. We need effective regulation on the ground,” Koney insisted.

Additionally, he pointed to the need for effective implementation of the benchmarks and guidelines set by the Minerals Commission.

While he acknowledged the Commission’s efforts, he highlighted the importance of putting policies into action on the field.

“We’ve seen the benchmarks on paper, but we need practical, on-the-ground implementation,” Mr Koney stated.

Mr Koney called on stakeholders to provide support and opportunities for Ghanaians in small-scale mining, stating that the sector should contribute to the growth and wealth of local communities.

“Let’s allow our brothers and sisters to build wealth, but ensure they are aligned with effective regulation,” he stated.