Chamber of Mines must tell us negative side too
The President of the Ghana Chamber of Mines (GCM), Mr. Jurgen Eijgendaal, has hinted that the mining sector contributed $1.79 billion, in mineral revenue, to the government last year. The sector also paid $53.8 million, in the form of royalties to the state, within the same period.
Speaking at the launch of the 80th Anniversary celebration of the Chamber in Accra recently, Mr. Eijgendaal said apart from the above contributions, the mining companies also paid taxes and dividends, amounting to millions of dollars, to the government.
There is no doubt that mining has contributed significantly to the economy of Ghana. Apart from direct employment, the sector has also created ancillary jobs for hundreds of people, living in the mining communities, and surrounding areas.
But for mining, towns such as Tarkwa, Obuasi Awaso, and the rest, would not have attained the current status they are enjoying.
As noted by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GCM, Ms. Joyce Aryee, during a recent television interview, most of the things Ghanaians were now enjoying came from gold and other minerals.
Despite this enormous contribution to the economy of Ghana, The Chronicle still thinks that it would be wrong, to always look at the positive side of the coin, and neglect the negative.
The President of the Chamber is telling Ghanaians, how much his outfit has contributed in support of the economy, but was silent on the havoc mining has wrecked on Ghanaians.
Day in and out, communities where these mining activities are taking place, come out to complain about the pollution of their sources of drinking water and the environment. Forests which serve as protection for mankind and the environment are being destroyed to pave way for mining.
If all these degradations were to be quantified, in monetary terms, it would surely exceed what the sector is giving to the economy.
We concede that mining is a necessary evil, which cannot be avoided, but at least the authorities could do something to minimise the impact.
For instance, would Ghana go hungry, if we stop giving out forest cover as mining concessions?
We are not condemning the GMC; our position is that the negative side must also be told.