The government's first goal, according to Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, MP, is to make sure that the nation's lands and natural resources are effectively protected, preserved, and used.
According to the Constitution, the people of Ghana own these lands and natural resources, and the government's responsibility is one of fiduciary care, necessitating the prudent and careful management of the resources for the benefit of the citizens of Ghana.
On Tuesday, July 20, 2022, the Minister was addressing a press conference held by the Ministry of Information to inform the public of progress at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
Regarding some of the policies the Ministry is putting into effect in the mining industry, Mr. Jinapor stated that the Government recently established a new local content policy, which led to an increase in the number of products and services reserved for Ghanaians from twenty-nine (29) to forty-one (41). (41). He said that by doing this, about Two Billion US Dollars (US$2,000,000,000.00) that would have been exported instead will remain in Ghana.
Regarding small-scale mining, Mr. Jinapor said that the government had chosen a two-pronged strategy, i.e., reformation and law enforcement, to sanitise the industry. He listed a few of the progressive measures, including the adoption of mercury-free gold processing machinery, the redesign of the Community Mining Schemes, the tracking of mining and earthmoving machinery, and the acquisition of speedboats for patrol.
In order to guarantee that we get the most out of our resources, he stated that the government was also dedicated to broadening the country's base of natural resources, notably lithium and other green minerals, and adding value to them.
Mr. Jinapor stated that the government's overriding strategy in the forestry sector is to safeguard our forest and wildlife resources and replace the nation's lost forest cover. Policies like the REDD+ Program, the Forest Investment Programme, the Rosewood Trade Ban, the Green Ghana Project, and the Cocoa and Forest Initiative are all targeted toward achieving this objective. He also disclosed that a Committee to implement a new Green Street Project, intended to plant trees in the median and avenues, will be established next week.
The Minister stated that the government is dedicated to digitising the Lands Commission's records in order to maintain an efficient, open, responsive, and well-organized land management that is rooted in honesty. According to him, this is being done in conjunction with decentralising the Lands Commission's activities to guarantee effective service delivery. He said that in order to enhance the management of stool and skin lands, the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands had also created an online application.
According to Mr. Jinapor, the Ministry has established a Public Lands Protection Team to guard public lands from invasion and retrieve any that have already been taken. He urged people who were in the business of infringing on public lands to stop doing so since it is against the law.
"As required by law, we won't think twice about razing unauthorised buildings on public property. In addition to destroying when necessary, we will also pursue legal action against encroachers, the Minister stated.
According to him, the government would continue to create and carry out policies and programmes via the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to guarantee that Ghanaians profit from the nation's lands and natural resources.
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