Mining Sector In Ghana Research Articles

Explaining illegal entrepreneurship in the small-scale artisanal mining sector in Ghana: A historical contextualization approach

Ghana’s small-scale artisanal mining sector boasts a rich history that stretches back to pre-colonial times when indigenous communities were involved in small-scale mining. Understanding this historical context is critical to grasping the factors that have led to the rise of illegal entrepreneurship in the present-day sector. Our analysis shows that illegal entrepreneurship is a contemporary development deeply intertwined with historical circumstances. Aspects like place, history, and tradition act as resources that sustain the ongoing prevalence of illicit business activities. The clash between modern state property rights and traditional communal land ownership systems creates uncertainties around resource ownership, which illegal entrepreneurs take advantage of. The central idea is that history and locality hold significant meaning, transforming the past into a resource and opportunity for entrepreneurial ventures. This perspective can inspire new ways of thinking about entrepreneurship. By situating illegal business practices within their historical context, we offer a fresh and critical lens on the dynamics of illegal entrepreneurship and opportunity recognition.

GHANA’S REGULATORY FRAMEWORK AND SUSTAINABILITY IN THE MINING SECTOR

The mining sector in Ghana predates independence and has, over the years, contributed significantly to Ghana’s socio-economic development through revenue generation, employment creation and increase in foreign direct investments. This can be attributed largely to the institution of comprehensive and attractive legal, fiscal and institutional frameworks by the Ghanaian Government, which have helped to attract investments into the mining industry. Nonetheless, lack of effective revenue mobilization, generous tax incentives, damaging environmental effects, and destruction of livelihoods of host communities, especially due to illegal mining activities, remain major challenges. Most of the problems associated with mining in Ghana are due mainly to a weak mining regulatory framework. Ghana has enacted the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) (the Minerals and Mining Act), as amended in 2010, 2015, and 2019, as the basic law that regulates the mining sector, to improve the fiscal regime and to ensure effective regulation and sustainability of the mining industry. Even though Act 703 has been amended twice, and the Government has proposed a third amendment, previous amendments focused on “non-essential” areas, without special focus on the management of the environment for sustainability in the mining sector. Making the mining industry sustainable seems to have been addressed as an incidental. The Minerals and Mining Act has not undergone any major amendments to align it with regional frameworks, reflect international best practices and address sustainability challenges in the mining sector in Ghana. This paper reviews the key provisions of the Minerals and Mining Act, with a special focus on how the same facilitates environmental management for sustainability in the mining sector.

Analyzing the dynamics influencing artisanal and small‐scale mining in the Upper Denkyira East Municipality, Ghana

AbstractThe gold mining sector in Ghana has significantly contributed to the nation's economic expansion by creating various employment prospects, both directly and indirectly, within mining communities. However, it is important to acknowledge that this industry has also had adverse environmental consequences. A sample size of 330 individuals, comprising small‐scale miners and farmers, was randomly selected from 10 mining communities within the Upper Denkyira Municipality to examine factors influencing artisanal and small‐scale mining (ASM) operations. Furthermore, 150 key informants, comprising representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Forestry Commission, the Mineral Commission, and other stakeholders, were also interviewed to ascertain the impact of mining on the environment. The research employed a logic regression model, the weighted average index (WAI), and X‐ray fluorescence as a method for the study data analysis. The study determined that low income, the impact of climate change on agriculture, and the high demand for gold exhibit a significant chance of influencing ASM. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that ASM have immeasurably contributed to water pollution, food security, and the loss of biodiversity in the municipality. Additionally, water resources, which serve as sources of potable water for drinking and irrigation, are heavily contaminated with arsenic, mercury, lead, copper, and nickel. The study concluded that implementing stricter regulations on mining practices, promoting sustainable mining methodologies, and providing comprehensive training to miners on environmental protection and land rehabilitation can help mitigate the negative impacts of ASM. Additionally, supporting alternative means of livelihood for mining communities, such as agriculture or ecotourism, can reduce the reliance on mining and promote sustainable development.

Contested concept, competing narratives, and coercive policy intervention: A study of government intervention in the illegal artisanal mining sector in Ghana

AbstractThis research presents the findings of a study on the outcomes of policy intervention for eradicating illegal artisanal mining in Ghana. Using theories of everyday resistance and discourse, the study explored how actor motivations, choices, and behaviour affected the outcome of the government's attempt to eradicate illegal artisanal mining. Driven by the necessity for survival, illegal miners asserted their agency and developed strategies of covert resistance to undermine government intervention. Our data reveal a dynamic interplay between the government's use of discourse to frame illegal mining as a criminal activity and the miners' deployment of “weapons of the weak” and counter‐narratives to mount covert resistance to the government's attempt to stop illegal mining. Using cynicism, evasive action, and survival discourses as well as playing on the government's ambivalence and doubts about its commitment to a long‐drawn‐out fight, the resilience of miners seemed to have paid off in the end as the government failed to achieve its major objective.

The relationship between vendor managed inventory and operational performance

PurposeFor the supply chain to be responsive in the age of globalization, the firm needs to adopt strategies to enable them to meet the changing market needs. Thus, it is essential to adopt automatic replenishment programmes such as vendor-managed inventory (VMI). This study sought to examine the relationship between VMI and operational performance (OP) and the moderation roles of leadership and digitization in the mining sector.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative approach was used, including primary data collected from industry players in the mining sector in Ghana. A total of 97 industry players were included in the study. Data gathered was analysed using SPSS and LISREL (8.5).FindingsThe results indicate that VMI significantly affects OP. However, both digitization and leadership failed to moderate the relationship between VMI and OP.Practical implicationsThe study offers mining companies an understanding of VMI applications in their industry. The knowledge will stimulate and improve inventory management practices in the mining industry.Originality/valueThis study is among the first few attempts to understand VMI in the mining industry, especially in the Sub-Saharan Africa context. It presents a detailed understanding of VMI and opportunities for future research.

Compensation for farms compulsorily acquired for mining in Ghana: an analysis of the laws, compensation practices and valuation methods

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the compensation practices and the valuation methods valuers apply in the context of the current legal framework for expropriation to assess compensation for farms impacted by mining in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachCompensation reports and archival materials were examined to identify the issues related to the valuation methods, compensation practices and expropriation procedures in the mining sector. Interviews were then conducted with 35 farmers and farmers' representatives, officials of mining companies, representatives of the Land Valuation Division of the Lands Commission and valuers/researchers on the issues identified through the document analysis.FindingsThe results reveal that the lack of express standards for assessing compensation for mining-impacted crops has occasioned variations in the valuation methods and the standard crop population for compensation. The study further reveals the impacts of exchange rate distortions on crop compensation values.Practical implicationsThe study empirically substantiates the arguments for a revised compensation regime in Ghana's mining sector. Valuers, mining companies and policymakers' awareness of this research will impact farm compensation valuation practices in the future.Social implicationsThe adequacy of compensation for mining-impacted farmers remains a topical issue, especially in African countries. This research contributes to the literature and reveals the socio-economic impacts of the current compensation regime on the livelihoods of expropriated farmers.Originality/valueThis paper is the first to analyse the valuation methods, the compensation values and the key parameters valuers apply in assessing compensation for mining-impacted crops in Ghana.

The Evil Couple: Illegal Mining in Water Bodies and Climate Change: A Case Study of Ghana

For the past few decades, illegal mining sector in Ghana popularly known as galamsey has received public outcry due to its negative impacts on quantity and quality of water resources. The purpose of this study was to explore the combined effects of mining in water bodies and climate change on water resources in Ghana. The methodology explored in the study was quantitative approach. The quality and quantity of most water bodies in Ghana had been compromised due to extraction of minerals, and such contaminants (heavy metals) include mercury, zinc, cyanide, sulphur etc. This phenomenon had made most water resources (e.g. River Fena, River Pra) unwholesome or inhabitable. Apart from this, climate change had also dried up some streams and rivers such as Anyinam, Offin and Goa. These unfortunate events had made water resources precarious which could spike water scarcity in the country in the near future. This paper, therefore, commends that stringent measures are to be taken to protect water bodies in the country as a menace of climate will continue to get worse.

Displacements and livelihood resilience in Ghana's mining sector: The moderating role of coping behaviour

There are three questions explored in this paper: (i) To what extent does mining-induced displacement impact livelihood capital, (ii) To what extent does livelihood capital impact livelihood resilience outcomes, and (iii) what impact does coping behaviour have on the relationship between livelihood capital and livelihood resilience? A sequential mixed exploratory method is employed to address these questions. The study's first phase includes 60 interviews and two focus group discussions, while 287 surveys were conducted in the second phase. Our hypothesis that coping behaviour moderates the relationship between livelihood capitals and livelihood resilience is explored with preliminary results from interviews and focus groups and confirmed with findings from the quantitative study. Based on the study's conceptual model, the results suggest that livelihood capitals positively affect livelihood resilience outcomes, while displacement limits them, except physical capital. However, the strength of these relationships depends on displaced people's coping behaviour. Finally, the implications of the results in terms of theory and practice are discussed.

Analysis of regulatory and institutional challenges in the gold mining sector of Ghana and the way forward

The gold mining sector in Ghana predates independence and has over the years contributed significantly to Ghana’s socio-economic development through revenue generation, employment creation and an increase in foreign direct investments. Ghana has the necessary laws, policies and available institutions to effectively supervise and monitor gold mining activities to ensure development and to minimize environmental degradation. However, some of these mining laws and policies which have direct or indirect impact on development and the environment are not adequately complied with due to lack of effective implementation and monitoring to ensure compliance. The regulatory institutions in the gold mining sector are faced with significant challenges. They include lack of adequate human and institutional capacity; dealing with multiple regulations and inter-institutional conflicts; lack of proper coordination between the institutions and political interference in the permit processing among other challenges. For the institutions to be able to perform their roles of effective monitoring and supervision to ensure effective compliance of mining laws and policies, it would require coordination between the relevant regulatory institutions, addressing the issue of multiple regulations and inter-agency conflicts and provision of sufficient staffing and resources for monitoring, regulatory enforcement and community inter-action. The aim of this article is to highlight the significant challenges facing regulatory bodies in the gold mining sector of Ghana, and suggest some solutions to these challenges.

Sustainable development in Ghana's gold mines: Clarifying the stakeholder's perspective

Using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs), this study examined critical stakeholder's perceptions, experiences and competence in assuring the sustainable management of Ghana's major gold mines. The investigation was inspired by a synthesis of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the global community in September 2015; it places human resource capacity at the center of a sustainability struggle between local and international businesses. The findings of this study encompass two opposing but interesting perspectives. On the one hand, the study showed that sustainable development is understood differently by stakeholders within the gold mining sector in Ghana, which is why gold mining companies employ different approaches in their pursuit of sustainability objectives. On the other hand, the study revealed that, as mining activities are similar across different mining companies, common understanding and operation of sustainable development in the country's gold mines is a more practical approach to sustaining mining operations. This study further revealed that to facilitate the effective implementation of sustainable development within Ghana's gold mines and to ensure its alignment with SDGs, a regulatory framework is required and this should be developed based on the input of stakeholders.

Driving forces of sustainability in the mining industry: Evidence from a developing country

There is an increased understanding that mining companies should focus on sustainability practices to remain competitive, but there is limited research that captures the drivers of and barriers to implementing and maintaining sustainability practices. Drawing upon institutional theory, a study was conducted to explore the drivers of sustainability decisions by surveying 164 respondents from the mining sector in Ghana. Coercive and normative pressures emerge as potent drivers of the triple bottom line of sustainability. However, mimetic institutional pressures can influence environmental and social sustainability but not economic sustainability. It is expected that the study findings would guide managers and policymakers on the importance of the various institutional pressures in driving sustainability policies in mining organizations. Implications of this research are also discussed.

A review from environmental management to environmental governance: paradigm shift for sustainable mining practice in Ghana

Industries in Ghana, over the centuries and for the sake of developments, have degraded the environment by polluting the air, water, and land through agriculture, manufacturing, construction, and other processes such as exploration of natural resources. The environmental policies in Ghana have been more of state "regulation" or "management" than "environmental governance" overseen by state ministries and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Nevertheless, environmental degradation due to mining activities has been on the increase than ever. This article calls for the need of a change of the environmental policy framework in the mining sector in Ghana from state regulations to environmental governance. It presents "voluntary agreement" as one of the capable instruments in environmental governance for the mining industry. It also addresses the causes of the lack of application of the existing environmental policy framework in the mining industry and the future implications if the government continues with this framework. It also examines the possibility of the state and the mining industry to embrace the paradigm shift in environmental policies. Lastly, due to insufficient literature available on environmental sociology and environmental governance in Ghana, it serves as the literature for future research on other areas of environmental governance and environmental sociology in Ghana.

The Role of Electronic Procurement in Enhancing Responsiveness of Procurement Management: An Empirical Study on Selected Mining Companies in Ghana

The emergence of electronic procurement system has revolutionized the discipline of procurement management. To date, however, very little research has been carried on this subject at the Ghana mining industry. This paper examines the level of adoption and role of e-procurement in enhancing responsiveness of procurement management at the mining industry, Ghana. Purposive random sampling was employed to select 26 respondents from 13 large scale mining companies on which structured questionnaires were administered and analyzed using linear regression. The rate of e-procurement adoption appears low at the Ghana mining sector, which the study has unveiled. Quantitatively 24% (R 2 =0.24) part of the companies’ procurement process is being enhanced by e-procurement systems, yet resulting in efficiency and effectiveness in their procurement management. The companies’ pilot e-procurement systems with manual system to get procurement executed though much into the orthodox manual system relatively. It is then recommended that the mining companies intensify usage of e-procurement systems to get the optimum impact on procurement management responsiveness. Keywords: E-procurement, E-procurement Adoption, procurement management, Mining sector, Ghana. DOI : 10.7176/EJBM/11-25-07 Publication date :September 30 th 2019

Sustainable development in Ghana's gold mines: Clarifying the stakeholder's perspective

Abstract Using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs), this study examined critical stakeholder's perceptions, experiences and competence in assuring the sustainable management of Ghana's major gold mines. The investigation was inspired by a synthesis of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the global community in September 2015; it places human resource capacity at the center of a sustainability struggle between local and international businesses. The findings of this study encompass two opposing but interesting perspectives. On the one hand, the study showed that sustainable development is understood differently by stakeholders within the gold mining sector in Ghana, which is why gold mining companies employ different approaches in their pursuit of sustainability objectives. On the other hand, the study revealed that, as mining activities are similar across different mining companies, common understanding and operation of sustainable development in the country's gold mines is a more practical approach to sustaining mining operations. This study further revealed that to facilitate the effective implementation of sustainable development within Ghana's gold mines and to ensure its alignment with SDGs, a regulatory framework is required and this should be developed based on the input of stakeholders.

The Role of a Policy in Strengthening Corporate Social Responsibility: An Empirical Study of the Mining Sector in Ghana

The prohibition imposed on resource-rich nations by the Global North governments to legislate laws to control multi-national enterprises has hit a death nail in any attempt(s) to innovate corporate social responsibility. Consequently, a self-commitment strategy was recommended for adoption to guide business own activities. This strategy undermines business participation in effective social governance yet encourages externalisation of the corporate cost of production, leading to catastrophic ramifications for host communities. The paper, therefore, proposes a policy nuance, which is a novelty in the existing literature, to oversee social responsibility undertakings and brings on board the corporate body in the social development discourse. Meanwhile, an SPSS analysis shows a statistically significant p-value and a negative coefficient which indicates comparability between policy and corporate social responsibility resulting in an endorsement of the paper’s proposition. Conclusively, a policy distinction would ensure appropriate planning, realistic and objective target setting, and compensatory plus effective and efficient implementation of basic social amenities, while systematising and normalising social agenda in corporate management strategies. It would also inspire checks of multi-national enterprises’ commitments since benchmarks are established and visible for references. Expectedly, further study on an appropriate policy enforcement mechanism for social (and environmental) governance is recommended.

Land versus livelihoods: Community perspectives on dispossession and marginalization in Ghana's mining sector

Globally, land has significant socio-economic value since it is a major source of livelihood for people who use it for farming. Yet, mineral mining is reducing people's access to their land. This paper employs the global land grabbing literature to examine the political economy of land dispossession in Ghana's mining sector, with a focus on the activities of two multinational companies. The argument is that is that the dispossession that occurs due to the proliferation of mineral extraction undermines the potential contribution of mining to sustainable livelihood outcomes for people in host communities. To augment this argument, the paper draws upon primary data gathered using two methods namely, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions in addition to a plethora of secondary sources, on the community perspectives on dispossession and marginalization relative to land and livelihoods in Ghana's mining sector. Drawing upon such data, the paper also underscores the intersections of place (global and local) and agency (domestic and foreign) with the overall objective of using the case of Ghana to underscore how land dispossession remains an important driver of social injustice, marginalization, and poor livelihoods in mining communities.

Assessment of the Challenges in Policy Implementation in the Small Scale Gold Mining Sector in Ghana – A Case Study

In recent times, stakeholders in the mining sector have expressed concerns about the environmental degradation and the social impacts of uncontrolled Small Scale Mining (SSM) activities in Ghana despite the existence of legislative instruments that define the procedures required for the acquisition of licences and operations of SSM activities in the country. This paper assesses the challenges in policy implementation in the small scale gold mining sector of Ghana by reviewing policies on regularisation and environmental management. It further identifies challenges faced by small scale mining operators in adhering to laid down policies for the smooth operation of the sector and furthermore assesses the views of some principal stakeholders on the benefits and challenges of small scale mining using the Dunkwa mining district as a test case. The methods employed include: field visits to some small scale mining sites within the Dunkwa mining district; interviews and questionnaire administration; and statistical and content analysis of data. The study reveals the following factors, among others, to have contributed largely to the difficulty in regularisation, environmental and social challenges that have plagued the SSM sector: low level of education of majority of miners; bureaucracies and centralisation of licence acquisition processes; lack of sources of finance for SSM projects; lack of geological information on mineable areas; and lack of adequate knowledge of the laws and regulations on mining and environment. In addressing the challenges the following recommendations are made: decentralisation of the regularisation processes to simplify licence acquisition; adequate geological investigations should be undertaken on SSM blocked-out areas to reduce the try and error mining approach adopted by miners; and continuous education and training of miners on good mining and environmental practices. Keywords: Small Scale Mining, Mineral Policies, Environmental Impact, Regularisation, Challenges

Assessment of the Challenges in Policy Implementation in the Small Scale Gold Mining Sector in Ghana – A Case Study

In recent times there have been grave concerns by stakeholders in the mining sector about the environmental destruction and the social impacts of uncontrolled small scale mining (SSM) activities in Ghana. Although there are available legislative instruments that define the procedures required for the acquisition of licence and operations of SSM activities, the above challenges still persist. This paper assesses the challenges in policy implementation in the small scale gold mining sector of Ghana by reviewing policies on regularisation and environmental management. It further identifies challenges faced by small scale mining operators in adhering to laid down policies for the smooth operation of the sector and furthermore assesses the views of some principal stakeholders on the benefits and challenges of small scale mining using the Dunkwa Mining District as a test case. The study reveals the following factors among others to have contributed largely to the difficulty in regularisation, environmental and social challenges that have plagued the SSM sector: low level of education of majority of miners; bureaucracies and centralisation of licence acquisition processes; lack of sources of finances for SSM projects; lack of geological information on mineable areas; and lack of adequate knowledge of the laws and regulations on mining and environment. In addressing the challenges the following recommendations are made: decentralisation of the regularisation processes to simplify licence acquisition; adequate geological investigations should be undertaken on SSM block out areas to reduce the try and error mining approach adopted by miners; and continuous education and training of miners on good mining and environmental practices among others.

Conflict, collusion and corruption in small-scale gold mining: Chinese miners and the state in Ghana

ABSTRACTAs gold prices soared from 2008 onwards, tens of thousands of foreign miners, especially from China, entered the small-scale mining sector in Ghana, despite it being ‘reserved for Ghanaian citizens’ by law. A free-for-all ensued in which Ghanaian and Chinese miners engaged in both contestation and collaboration over access to gold, a situation described as ‘out of control’ and a ‘culture of impunity’. Where was the state? This paper addresses the question of how and why pervasive and illicit foreign involvement occurred without earlier state intervention. Findings indicate that the state was not absent. Foreign miners operated with impunity precisely because they were protected by those in authority, that is, public officials, politicians and chiefs, in return for private payments. Explaining why state institutions failed in their responsibilities leads to reflection about the contemporary state in Ghana. It is concluded that the informality and corruption characteristic of neopatrimonialism remains predominant over legal–rational structures, albeit in a form that has adapted to neoliberal restructuring. Public office remains a means of private enrichment rather than public service. Such findings cast a shadow over the state and government in Ghana, and tarnish its celebration as a model of democratic governance for Africa.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Political Settlements in the Mining Sector in Ghana, Zambia and Peru

This paper explores and compares the political effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the mining sector in Zambia, Ghana and Peru. The paper adopts a political settlements approach to answer the question: How do the CSR practices of mining companies affect local and national political settlements? After setting out the main tenets of the political settlements approach, this is articulated with literature on the politics of natural resource extraction and CSR. The paper then sets the wider context of the international drivers of increased attention to CSR in the extractive sector, before exploring the impact of the CSR practices of mining companies on the political settlement in Ghana, Peru and Zambia at the national and local levels. The final sections offer a comparative discussion of what the findings mean for understanding CSR’s role in inclusive development and natural resource governance. The paper argues that recent increased CSR expenditure does not necessarily translate into development for those living near mining companies, particularly in contexts of exclusionary political settlements, of which all case studies exhibited characteristics. There are a great many institutional and contextual limitations placed on the ability of CSR to deliver development for affected communities. Across the case studies, the opportunities that CSR programmes afford tended to aimed at those with the greatest capacity to disrupt operations, rather than those with the greatest need. In concluding, I argue that, despite some obvious limitations, the political settlements approach can generate new insights through its focus on the politics of development, and, in particular, the politics of stability.