The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, has charged the Ghana Chamber of Mines to lead the fight against illegal mining as the government implements the required counter measures.
He implored the Chamber to work with the Ministry to develop a viable and sustainable mining business to boost the economy.
The Minister made the call at the 5th Human Resource Conference of the Ghana Chamber of Mines in Obuasi on Wednesday, dubbed: Transforming People Management for a Sustainable Mining Industry in Ghana.
He noted that in addition to harming the environment, illegal mining has an impact on the operations of mining companies and, in turn, their employees.
"Occasional clashes between illegal miners and your employees will be a thing of the past if we work together to combat illegal mining and develop our mining communities," he stated.
Mr Jinapor commended the Chamber's efforts since its inception on June 6, 1928, saying, "the Ghana Chamber of Mines has continued to play a critical role in the exploitation and management of our natural resources, and this Conference, which brings together Human Resource professionals to deliberate on human capital issues within the mining industry is yet another testament of your commitment to efficient exploitation of our natural resources."
He added that the government considers the Ghana Chamber of Mines as a true partner and intends to continue to collaborate closely with it to move the mining industry forward.
Mr Jinapor added that despite unprecedented advances in science and technology that are revolutionizing the way people live and work, "human capital remains critical to the success of every industry," emphasizing the need for Human Resources Professionals to attract and retain new talent to meet the industry's future demands.
He said developing a sustainable mining industry would require managers to incorporate Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) principles into all aspects of the industry, which have become the global basic standards for regulating and evaluating institutional performance based on environmental responsibility, social welfare and economic growth.
In his opinion, the mining workforce needs incentives like motivation, fair treatment and better pay because the sector is notoriously risky, adding that those incentives were necessary for workers to offer their best.
Mr Jinapor noted the motivation agenda can only be achieved when Human Resource Departments work closely with workers' unions to build consensus and strive towards organisational objectives.
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He commended the Chamber for instituting the Best Mine in Diversity and Inclusion award, as part of the Ghana Mining Industry Awards. That, he said, demonstrated the Chamber's understanding of the need for diversity and inclusion in the workforce of the mining industry.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Mr Sulemanu Koney, stated that Human Resource Managers must constantly update themselves to do better at their jobs and keep up with competition and world standards.
He highlighted several initiatives undertaken by the Chamber to support human capital development in the mining sector, citing an $804,000 research grant awarded to the University of Mines and Technology as an example.
He assured the industry that the Chamber would continue to support it with innovative and relevant training modules that would help train and develop a pipeline of talents and skills for the industry and Ghana as a whole.
