The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has reiterated calls for players within the mining Industry to prioritize value addition to its extractives exported out of the country to ensure the country rakes in the full benefit of the Industry.

The sector Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor maintains that narrative of naturally endowed countries being caught in the web of poverty needs to change as stakeholders make efforts to move from the rhetoric of industrialization.

Speaking at the opening of the Ghana Mining & Energy Summit in Accra organized by the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Samuel Abu Jinapor charged the various actors in the mining and energy industry to commit to sustainable operations.

“The mining Industry continues to be the bulwark of our economy; with gold alone contributing 6.6 billion USD in export receipt last year. In the past few years, the energy sector has also been a major contributor to our economy,” he said.

“The hard truth however is that we have not benefited optimally from these two sectors as we should. The convergence of these two Industries presents a unique opportunity to shape our destiny and build a sustainable and prosperous nation using clean energy and responsible mining practices. We must unlock the full potential of our mining and energy sectors for our domestic industrialization,” he intimated.