Dr Yao Graham, Coordinator of the Third World Network-Africa (TWN-Africa), has challenged the narrative surrounding the benefits of artisanal, small-scale mining and large-scale mining to Ghana’s economy.
He noted that the public’s understanding of mining’s impacts has grown more nuanced over time.
This, according to him, is a critical area that requires scrutiny, including government and corporate accountability for revenues and the integration of the mining sector with other parts of the economy.
Speaking at the TWN-Africa@30 event, held under the theme ‘Organising for Equitable and Transformative Policies,’ Dr Graham called for a deeper assessment of the sector’s true contributions.
“Since the first wave of privatisation and granting of new concessions to transnational corporations, official propaganda has focused on celebrating the amount of foreign direct investments coming into the country and the prospects of earning revenue and foreign exchange for export. Today, Ghanaians have a more sophisticated cost-benefit analysis of the role and contribution of mining.
“What are the impacts on those who are directly affected by mining projects? How much were their views taken into account on the decision to grant the concessions? What are the accrual cost benefits of these projects? What is the accountability of government and foreign companies for the revenue and earnings? Are there any linkages being developed between the mining sector and the rest of the economy? These are some of the questions which have become routine in how people in Ghana approach the role of the mining sector,” he stated.
