By Ghana News
Copyright ghanamma
Representatives from Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) have met with the Chamber of Bullion Traders Ghana (CBTG) to discuss strategies and support systems needed to promote responsible small-scale mining in the country.
Outlining the challenges of irresponsible mining, Mr. Henry Osei, Director of Research at the CBTG, explained that while miners seek to boost output, many resort to unsafe and unsustainable methods that harm the ecosystem.
“As a Chamber, we take responsible mining seriously. That is why we accepted your invitation to Geneva last year to engage with SECO, Metalor, and Swiss Better Gold on how best we can collaborate to promote and sustain responsible mining in Ghana,” Mr. Osei said.
He emphasized that responsible mining requires technical expertise and practical skills that can only be passed on through field-based training.
“Training miners on-site, not in lecture rooms, is the only way to ensure they adopt practices that safeguard their safety, health, and the environment,” he stressed.
Appealing for Swiss support, Mr. Osei noted Switzerland’s long-standing benefits from Ghana’s gold exports.
“This is the time for the Swiss to assist with training and capacity-building for miners,” he urged.
Mr. Osei also highlighted the high cost of equipment as a major barrier.
“For small-scale miners, investing between $200,000 and $500,000 is often unrealistic unless they operate in groups. Support for centralized processing plants would be crucial in promoting responsible and sustainable mining,” he said.
Asked by the Swiss delegation about key stakeholders, Mr. Osei referenced earlier engagements with Metalor and Swiss Better Gold, stressing that their involvement would be essential.
Madam Alexa of SECO further inquired about incentives to encourage miners to embrace responsible practices, given the quick profits often offered by informal or black-market sales.
Mr. Osei replied: “If miners are made aware that responsible gold attracts a premium price, which outweighs the black market returns, they would have every reason to sell responsibly. It becomes a win-win situation for all.”
He also drew attention to inefficiencies in existing mining methods, pointing out that gold recovery rates remain as low as 35–40% in hard rock mining, with similarly poor outcomes in alluvial mining—leading to both economic losses and environmental damage.
“Pilot tests we conducted on two centralized processing plants showed more than double the recovery rates and reduced processing times, increasing miners’ margins significantly. With the right support, miners will embrace such systems,” Mr. Osei concluded.
