Ghana Chamber of Mines calls for 30% royalty share for mining communities

The Ghana Chamber of Mines is pressing for a statutory minimum of 30% of mineral royalty receipts to be allocated directly to mining communities to address persistent development gaps in host areas.

The proposal comes in response to concerns raised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (Ghana) over the underdevelopment of mining communities despite decades of mineral extraction.

Speaking at a press conference, Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber, Ing. Ken Ashigbey, argued that the infrastructure deficits observed in Tarkwa and other mining enclaves reflect structural weaknesses in Ghana’s mineral revenue distribution framework, rather than a lack of corporate contribution or compliance.

He stressed that correcting the imbalance in royalty allocation is critical to ensuring that communities hosting mining operations derive tangible and equitable benefits from the country’s mineral wealth.

“The persistent infrastructure deficits observed in Tarkwa and other mining communities are fundamentally reflective of structural weaknesses in the mineral revenue distribution architecture rather than an absence of corporate contribution or obligation. As previously noted, the three principal mining operations in Tarkwa remitted approximately GHS5.1 billion in taxes to the central government in 2024 alone.

“Yet, under the prevailing statutory distribution framework, only a limited proportion of mineral royalty revenues accrues directly to host communities and municipal or district assemblies, with disbursements, in some instances, irregular, delayed, or administratively constrained.

“It is precisely in recognition of this structural imbalance that the Chamber has consistently and formally advocated for a minimum statutory allocation of 30% of mineral royalty receipts to mining communities.

“In the Chamber’s considered view, addressing the developmental deficits confronting Tarkwa and other mining areas requires recalibrating the fiscal distribution framework and improving local revenue utilisation and accountability mechanisms, rather than restructuring mine ownership arrangements,” Ing. Ken Ashigbey stated.

Source: Citi Business News