The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Mines, Mr George Mireku Duker, has described the Natural Resources Stakeholders Dialogue, organised by the Graphic Communications Group Ltd, as yet another illustration of the government’s determination to maximise the benefits of Ghana’s natural resources.
He reiterated that harnessing the country’s natural resources to broaden its contribution to national development, should be an all-hands-on-deck approach.
He made this statement when he delivered the opening address on the final day of the two-day conference last Friday
The Deputy Minister emphasised that the government’s fight to eradicate all forms of illegalities in the mining sector is a collective one that requires the support and active participation of all stakeholders.
“Indeed, the President attached great importance to natural resource governance which is anchored on sustainability and broad-based stakeholder collaboration and partnership. This, as he reiterated…informed the organization of the first-ever National Dialogue on Small-Scale Mining followed by two similar regional ones.
“Since that incipient call for all hands to be on deck, many well-meaning organizations like the Graphic Communications Group have responded favourably. Indeed, he further emphasizes that, without natural resources, life is impossible and it is the reason why collective responsibility is needed in fighting the irregularities in the sector,” he emphasized
He expressed hope that the event would result in a renewed commitment and dedication to the promotion of responsible natural resource utilization
He urged the conference attendees to think about some major and critical problems that they must discuss and address during the plenary.
Mr Duker proposed that the discussions focus on how Ghana and to a larger extent, Africa might harness their resources to accelerate their development.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the takeaway from the President’s speech delivered yesterday was that, even though Africa commands about 30% of the world’s natural resources, its development is ironically the lowest in the world. There is, therefore, the need to find ways of translating this share of the world’s natural resources into sustainable development,” he said.
The Natural Resources Stakeholders Dialogue is a two-day event organized by the Graphic Communications Group Ltd in collaboration with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to bring together stakeholders and experts under one roof to deliberate on how the country’s natural resources can be harnessed to generate sustainable economic development.
Irene Wirekoaa Osei, ISD
