George Mireku Duker, the deputy minister for lands and natural resources, says the government is committed to creating a mining industry that is strong and robust enough to endure the next financial crisis.
On January 17, 2023, Mr. Mireku Duker, the keynote speaker at the West African Institute of Mining Metallurgy and Petroleum (WAIMM) Annual Industry Conference, stated that the mining sector was not exempt from the devastating effects of the concurrent COVID-19 and Russia-Ukraine conflict crises.
He said the sector has been severely damaged, but that the government, as part of its economic reform, is proposing new policies that would create an economy that will be able to withstand the shocks of the following global economic crisis.
The Deputy Minister claims that the mining sector has taken the initiative in the reformation push by promoting ethical and environmentally friendly mining methods.
The two-day conference's topic, "Building A Resilient and Sustainable Natural Resources Industry Beyond Global Pandemic," fits in nicely with the government's new strategy for the extractive industry, according to Mr. Mireku Duker.
He was certain that the conference would offer a forum for the discussion of solutions to the issues that the crises had caused in the industry.
As he said, "The conference also strives to provide the platform for debating relevant and cutting-edge approaches to tackling global and national concerns affecting national development via mining."
He said, "I'm also pleased to see that the event is committed to not only knowledge exchange and the transmission of innovations but also to strengthening current corporate interest in the nation and encouraging new prospects in the value chain of the oil and gas and mining industries.
According to Mr. Mireku Duker, Ghana's socioeconomic growth has been supported for centuries by the mining industry, and every policy effort launched is intended to clean up the sector in order to increase the country's ability to generate money.
He pointed out, for instance, that gold generated around 16.48% of government income and 35.6% of all exports of merchandise in 2021. He noted that 2.820 million ounces of gold exported by the nation brought in $5.083 billion in export-related income.
According to Mr. Mireku Duker, the government is working to diversify the mining industry by establishing a bauxite and iron refining centre in the nation.
The fifth annual WAIMM Industry Conference WAIC2022 aims to offer a great venue for networking, high-end industry solutions, the most recent advancements in industry practises and operations, technological and technical recommendations to address industry challenges, and knowledge sharing with experts and both local and international consultants.
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