Friday, June 15, 2012

Gov’t to prescribe CSR guidelines for miners

Government is prescribing guidelines for rolling out corporate social responsibility projects in the mining industry, Professor Bruce Banoeg-Yakubo, Chief Director at the Ministry of Mines, Lands and Natural Resources, has said.

“The corporate social responsibility framework will be targetted at ensuring the mining industry develops appropriate strategies and practices to increase its impact on poverty alleviation and development in the local communities, in a cost-effective and practical manner,” he said.

Approximately GH¢43million was contributed by mining companies to their host communities and the general public during the 2011 fiscal year.

The Minerals Commission is the lead agency mandated to develop a national framework to define parameters for mining companies in the conduct of corporate social responsibility programmes in the country.
Mr. Benjamin Aryee, Chief Executive Officer, of the Commission, disclosed to B&FT in Accra that the guidelines when fully adopted will standardise the corporate social responsibility programmes of the sector and pave the way for formal legislation in the future.

“CSR is largely voluntary all over the world, including Ghana. But although it is not legislated, coming out with guidelines to direct mining companies in their social responsibility programmes will make them more responsible to the society, as well as contribute immensely to the socio-economic development of the country,” he said.

Chiefs and opinion leaders of mining communities at a recent workshop in Accra called for speedy implementation of laws to define guidelines for carrying out corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities in the mining industry.

Agyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, Omanhene of Sefwi Wiawso, speaking on behalf of the chiefs, argued that the development of a national framework on corporate social responsibility for mining companies is long overdue.

He said political leaders and stakeholders need to help make the necessary inputs toward full adoption of the guidelines to encourage effective support for improving the socio-economic lives of mining communities.

In recent years, concerns about the sustainability and social responsibility of businesses have become an increasingly high-profile issue in many countries and industries, including Ghana, and more so in the mining industry.

For mining, one outcome of the CSR agenda is the increasing need for individual companies to justify their existence and document their performance through the disclosure of social and environmental information.

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