Ghana’s Ambassador to China, Kojo Bonsu, has reiterated government’s commitment to work only with investors who are ready to align with President John Dramani Mahama’s policy on value addition to Ghana’s mineral resources.
According to him, government’s policy is now firmly focused on local beneficiation.
“The government’s policy is now firmly oriented towards local beneficiation such as refining bauxite to Alumina integration or the development of detailed processing capacity,” he said.
Ambassador Bonsu was addressing investors at this year’s China Mining Conference in Tianjin, China, on Friday, September 11, 2026, where he underscored the importance of value addition in resource management.
He said Ghana has taken a deliberate decision to end the practice of exporting raw minerals only to import finished products at higher cost.
“Ghana has made a clear and deliberate choice that we will no longer be content to explore raw ore and import back finished products at higher prices. It is not good,” he stated.
The Ambassador explained that government is putting in place the necessary structures to support the new direction.
“We are building frameworks, infrastructure, and the incentives to give more values, more skills and more jobs,” he said.
He noted that the Mahama administration is not only reshaping the mining industry but rewriting the narrative around the exploitation of mineral resources.
According to him, it is “a government that doesn’t see mining as an extractive afterthought but as a central pillar of our utilisation agenda under our unified national development priorities.”
Ambassador Bonsu, who is credited for his role in the rebranding of Ghana Oil Company Limited (GOIL) and the construction of the Kejetia Market in Kumasi among other projects, described China as a worthy bilateral partner.
“China has been and remains Ghana’s significant partner on infrastructure, trade, and increasingly in the mining and minerals value chain,” he said.
He therefore invited the Chinese investor community to explore mutually beneficial opportunities.
“We are therefore here to present opportunities. Listen, negotiate, and build partnerships that are genuinely mutual and grounded in fair terms,” he told them.
He called for technology transfer, local content development and shared prosperity between the business communities of Ghana and China.
Ambassador Bonsu also pointed to a transparent and improving regulatory environment, a skilled and youthful workforce, and a government that sees mining as a catalyst for development.
Meanwhile, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah, who was Guest Speaker at the Ghana Forum, outlined challenges facing the mining sector, including geological information gaps affecting exploration.
He also cited regulatory reforms and the establishment of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) as part of measures to decisively deal with illegal mining.
He added that cooperative mining and the introduction of medium-scale mining are among interventions being pursued to support value addition to Ghana’s mineral resources.
metrotvonline.com
