Ghana’s Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has launched four community mining cooperatives in the Western Region as part of efforts to combat illegal mining and create employment for young people.
The schemes in Tarkwa and Bogoso were inaugurated on Monday, November 9, under the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP).
Tanoyaa and A’koon societies are based in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality, while TAX ES and Bogum and Alignment operate in the Prestea-Huni Valley Municipality.
The programme brings local young people and artisanal miners into registered community cooperatives. Members receive certificates and permits allowing them to work legally within approved mining concessions, providing an alternative to illegal small-scale mining, commonly known as galamsey.
Oversight of the cooperatives is shared by the Minerals Commission and the Department of Cooperatives. Participants are required to comply with mining and environmental regulations, protect rivers, forests and farmland, and meet standards covering safety, transparency and the reclamation of mined land.
Buah presented the permits alongside Western Regional Minister Joseph Nelson. He said the destruction of forest reserves across Ghana had now reached an area larger than 12,000 football fields.
The minister warned that efforts to generate wealth must not come at the expense of environmental security. The latest launch follows reports that illegal mining has resumed along the Tano River.
Researchers have warned that rivers polluted by galamsey could take 100 years to recover, while land affected by contamination could require 300 years before it is restored.
Buah said the long-term success of rCOMSDEP under President John Dramani Mahama would depend on cooperation between host communities, traditional leaders and regulatory authorities.
He called on those groups to reject illegal operators and ensure that lawful mining delivers sustainable development for communities in the region.
The four new cooperatives build on five groups launched in Ellembelle and three in Nzema East in October. Earlier schemes had also been established in Ahanta West, Mpohor Fiase and the Eastern Region.
Acting rCOMSDEP National Coordinator Shehu Siddiq said the programme’s secretariat would increase the registration of additional cooperatives. He said the expansion would help create formal employment opportunities for young people.
Western Regional Cooperatives Director Akwasi Adjei Bawuah also pledged support from his office to help the cooperatives meet the required regulatory standards.
Tarkwa-Nsuaem MP Issah Taykor and Prestea-Huni Valley MP Robert Wisdom Cudjoe welcomed the initiative, describing it as a potential source of livelihoods for unemployed young people in the two mining centres.
Both MPs urged the beneficiaries to follow the rules governing the cooperatives and conduct their operations responsibly.
