The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Mines, Mr George Mireku Duker has said the government is committed to using technology to sanitize the mining industry and make Ghana the model of mining in Africa.
He thus called on mining companies to make good use of technology while mitigating its negative rippling effect on society.
The Deputy Minister said this at the Seventh Biennial International Mineral Mining Conference at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa in the Western Region.
He urged the Chamber of Mines to adopt change management strategies, training and development whenever new technology was introduced to avert a potential backlash with the mining companies.
The Deputy Minister charged the University of Mines and Technology to take up the challenge to lead in expanding the frontiers of technology in the mining industry.
He further called on stakeholders, especially the academia to keep researching to bring out various technologies and policies to mitigate illegal mining, gold smuggling and boost transparency in the entire industry.
He assured of the government’s commitment to providing an enabling environment for innovations to ensure the sustainability of the mining industry.
As part of the conference, some 120 small-scale and community miners graduated from the university after intensive three-day training modules on Responsible and Sustainable Artisanal Small-Scale Mining Practices.
Irene Wirekoaa Osei, ISD