Government has been urged to collaborate with the University of Mines and Technology to set up a technical service hub to provide training for small scale miners to address challenges in the sector.

The hub should also provide guidance and training in resource support, mine planning, processing and reclamation support for small scale miners.

Mr Henry Antwi, Commercial and Technical Advisor at Minerals Development Oman, made the call on Thursday in Accra at a lecture on the “Role of Geoscience in Unlocking Ghana’s Optimum Mineral Potential”.

The lecture was organised by the Ghana Institution of Geoscientists (GIG).

He urged authorities to assist small scale miners with policy on ‘restrictive mining licence’ to allow reclamation compliance before renewal on periodic basis, as well as coordinate with processing engineers on quality control issues to improve recoveries.

Mr Antwi said regulation in the sector must ensure that operations managers were mining professional with the requisite experience.

“To ensure sustainability of the country’s mining sector, it was imperative to minimize administrative bureaucracies in the granting of mining licences and the need to lobby government to simplify regulatory approvals for exploration permit and environmental impact assessment,” he added.

He called for on-line geographical information systems for investors to have access of geological data and promote the country’s geological potential for effective business.

Mr Antwi urged government to initiate the ‘ready to invest mining blocks’ which enables potential investors to bypass government administrative bureaucracies and make the country more attractive to investors and create economic zones with incentives for mineral exploration and development.

He noted that the country’s geosciences can assist map out preapproved blocks based on minerals type and delineating them into investment -ready blocks and help unleash value adding potential.

Mr Antwi said there was the need to add value to these natural resources to be competitive in the global market through the establishment of industry for gold, diamond and other precious minerals.

He noted that the establishment of the African Mining Development Centre initiative was to create and sustain network of competent, reliable and competitive suppliers to provide goods and services.

“The centre also supports strategies in building capacity, scaling up of capabilities and improving the competitiveness of suppliers,” he added.
He urged GIG to collaborate with Australian Institute of Geosciences and Kenex for sharing knowledge on best practice initiatives.