The National Coordinator of the Responsible Small-Scale Mining Community Development Programme (rCOMSDEP), Ing. Lawyer Frank Pedro Asare, has joined a high-level Ghanaian delegation to Tanzania for a peer exchange mission under the UK-Ghana Gold Program Project.
The visit was aimed at strengthening collaboration and knowledge sharing between Ghana and Tanzania in the areas of responsible mining practices, gold trading systems, and community development in the extractive sector.
The Ghanaian delegation included Frederick Ahinkwah, Member of Parliament and a Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Lands and Natural Resources; Richard Nunekpeku, Esq., Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GOLDBOD); Arafat Suleiman, Gold Trader; Dr. Steve Manteaw, Samuel Bekoe, Chris Austen, David, and Candice, all from the UK-Ghana Gold Program team.
Also present throughout the engagements were senior officials of AngloGold Ashanti from both Ghana and Tanzania, who played an active role in the discussions.
During the four-day working visit, the delegation held a series of meetings with key Tanzanian institutions and stakeholders in the mining industry.
They paid a courtesy call on the Regional Commissioner of Geita Region and visited the Geita District Mining Commission Office, as well as several small-scale mining sites and processing facilities.
The team also engaged the senior management of Geita Gold Mines Ltd and toured their operational areas to learn more about their responsible mining initiatives.
Another engagement took place at the State Mining Corporation of Tanzania (STAMICO), where discussions centered on how the Tanzanian government supports and regulates the small-scale mining sector.
The delegation further met with the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) to study revenue mobilization strategies from small-scale mining.
They also visited the Tanzania Chamber of Mines and the Bank of Tanzania (BOT) to understand the country’s gold trading and financial oversight systems.
Ing. Lawyer Frank Pedro Asare described the mission as insightful and impactful, noting that the lessons learned will help Ghana enhance transparency, accountability, and sustainability in small-scale mining.
He expressed appreciation to the UK-Ghana Gold Program, the Government of Tanzania, and AngloGold Ashanti for facilitating the successful exchange, adding that such collaborations are essential to shaping a more responsible and inclusive mining industry in Ghana.
