Chief Operating Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ahmed Nantongma, has said that the sustainability of mining in Ghana does not only depend on good mining practices, but also on the positive impact of these activities on people living where these activities take place.
Speaking to journalists during a three-day workshop on sustainability, he said, “if mining is not sustainable, then mining cannot lead to sustainable development, and we at the Chamber believe that mining can lead to sustainable development.”
“If you go to Tarkwa, you’ll find a park there called the T&A Park. And it’s one of the best stadiums, and it was built by a mining company. And this facility will go beyond the life of a mine. And once it goes beyond the life of a mine, it’s sustainable because if you look at the number of players who will come from there, maybe we might find them playing for Ghana at the World Cup when Ghana goes. In that sense, mining can be sustainable.”
He lamented the perception by a section of Ghanaians that mining companies are making abnormal profits and therefore ought to be more aggressively pursued to pay more taxes, noting that, beyond paying royalties, about 70% of mining revenue returns to the country for the operations of these companies.
“How else will these companies pay their taxes, Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE), buy fuel and buy electricity?” he wondered.
He cautioned against the overtaxing of mining industry players, as the industry forms the backbone of the Ghanaian economy.
