Take active role in galamsey fight – Jinapor to Mines Chamber

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel A. Jinapor, has charged the Ghana Chamber of Mines to take up leadership in the fight against illegal mining even as the government takes all the necessary measures to curb the menace. He said apart from its negative environmental impact, illegal mining also affects the operations and employees of the chamber. "The occasional clashes between illegal miners and your employees will be a thing of the past if we join hands together to deal with illegal mining and develop our mining communities," he said. He also called on the chamber to join hands with the government and the ministry to build a viable and sustainable Mining industry which will go a long way to benefit the Ghanaian economy and the Ghanaian people. Mr Jinapor made this call when he joined the Ghana Chamber of Mines in Obuasi on Wednesday, 19 October 2022, to give the keynote address at the 5th Human Resource Conference on the theme: “Transforming People Management for a Sustainable Mining Industry in Ghana.” The minister, in his address, applauded the efforts of the chamber since its establishment on 6 June 1928, saying, "The Ghana Chamber of Mines has continued to play a critical role in the exploitation and management of our natural resources, and this conference, which brings together Human Resource professionals to deliberate on issues of human capital within the mining industry, is yet another testament of your commitment to efficient exploitation of our natural resources". He added that the government considers the Ghana Chamber of Mines as a true partner and intends to continue to collaborate closely with it, in moving the all-important Mining industry forward. Addressing the managers, the lands minister said despite the unprecedented developments in science and technology, which are revolutionising the way people live and work, "human capital remains crucial to the success of every industry" and, therefore, the need for Human Resources Professionals to attract and retain new talent to meet the industry’s future demands. The minister asserted that building a sustainable mining industry requires that managers incorporate into every aspect of the industry, Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Principles, which have become the basic standards, globally, for regulating and evaluating institutional performance based on environmental responsibility, social welfare and economic growth. He opined that motivation, fair treatment, and better remuneration are important for the mining workforce, in the industry, which is particularly associated with many risks, these incentives he said are required for the employees to give out their best at all times. Mr Jinapor alluded that this motivation agenda can only be achieved when Human Resource Departments work closely with workers’ unions to build consensus and strive towards organisational objectives. He highly commended the Ghana Chamber of Mines for instituting the Best Mine in Diversity and Inclusion award, as part of the Ghana Mining Industry Awards. This he said demonstrates the Chamber’s understanding of the need for diversity and inclusion in the workforce of the mining industry. The Managing Director for Anglogold Ashanti Obuasi Mine and Chairman at the Event, Dr Eric Asubonteng in his address said if Ghana can achieve the targeted aim of becoming the Mining Hub of Africa, then stakeholders must take deliberate steps to beef up the workforce. "In the Ghana Mining industry, if we are truly going to realise the vision we have set for ourselves to make Ghana the Mining hub of West Africa and Africa as a whole, then we must be deliberate about nurturing the workforce skilled in the required practical and modern mining methods." He tabled a number of challenges the Mine has faced since the last Human Resource Conference noting that to address these challenges, all stakeholders need to be proactive in strategies and from an HR perspective, strengthen the employer value proposition. Dr Asubonteng said their vision, as a mine, is to be a safe and viable tier one assert that is at peace with its stakeholders, adding that this vision cannot be realised without the right human resource management wing and also assured that their organisation remains focused on "turning this world-class ore body into a world-class value". He urged the Managers saying "Human Resource managers must, therefore, intensify efforts to transform the industry through comprehensive people-management practices and find innovative ways to boost the effectiveness and efficiency of our people". Appreciating the need and importance of the conference, Mr Sulemanu Koney, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, said there is a need for human resource managers to constantly update themselves to do better at their jobs and meet up with the competition and world standards. He touted a number of initiatives the chamber has embarked upon to support the human capital development in the mining sector mentioning an $804,000 research grant presented to the University of Mines and Technology as an example. He gave an assurance that the Chamber will continue to support the industry with innovative and relevant training modules that will help train and develop a pipeline of talents and skills for the industry and for Ghana as a whole.