Ghana’s Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah on May 12 made a direct pitch to the global mining industry at an exclusive investors’ forum in New York, outlining a package of tax reforms, regulatory improvements and critical minerals plans as part of government’s Reset Agenda to attract fresh capital into the country’s mineral sector.
The forum, held on the sidelines of the 21st Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests in New York, brought together executives from leading mining companies, officials of the Minerals Commission, prospective international investors and Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Smith. The event was hosted by Newcore Gold Ltd at the Penn Club of New York.
Buah noted that Ghana remains Africa’s leading gold producer and ranks sixth globally, while also expanding into critical minerals needed for the global energy transition. He described Ghana as endowed with gold, bauxite, manganese, diamonds, iron ore, lithium, cobalt and nickel, and said the country’s hosting of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat gives investors access to a unified continental market of over 1.3 billion people.
“Ghana remains one of the most competitive mining destinations in the world,” the Minister told participants, adding that government is streamlining regulations and reducing the cost of doing business across the sector.
Ghana’s mining sector has attracted more than US$20 billion in investments over the past two decades, with established operators including Newmont, AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields, Zijin Mining and Perseus Mining, alongside newer entrants such as Newcore Gold, Azumah Resources and Northern Ashanti Mines.
Buah outlined a series of recent policy reforms designed to lower investment barriers. These include the removal of the 15 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) on exploration activities, the abolition of the 1 percent COVID-19 levy, and reductions in the Growth and Sustainability Levy. He assured investors that the sector is underpinned by the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), which guarantees stability agreements, contract protection, fiscal incentives and protection against retroactive policy changes.
Joining the delegation was Madam Ama Mawusi Mawuenyefia, National Coordinator for the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP), who used the platform to highlight Ghana’s efforts to formalise artisanal and small-scale mining operations across the country.
Beyond gold, the government is pursuing diversification into lithium, iron ore, bauxite and industrial minerals, with plans underway to establish domestic gold and lithium refineries with London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) certification to increase in-country value retention. Buah also reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and the African Mining Vision as foundations of its transparency and accountability framework.
