The Centre for Public Interest Law (CEPIL), with support from Oxfam in Ghana, has organised a stakeholder forum to examine the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) Act, 2018 (Act 978) as amended, focusing on addressing pressing concerns related to mineral revenue distribution and management in Ghana.
The event aimed to spark discussions on governance, revenue transparency, and policy reforms, while empowering civil society and local communities to demand accountability in mineral revenue management.
The forum brought together a diverse range of stakeholders, including representatives from regulatory bodies like the Minerals Development Fund (MDF), Chamber of Mines, and Bank of Ghana (BoG). Also in attendance were representatives from the Ghana Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (GHETI) and the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), as well as community members affected by mining, traditional leaders, civil society organisations (CSOs), and media representatives.
In a presentation on analysis of Ghana’s MIIF Act 2018, the Country Director of BudgIT Ghana, Jennifer Addochoe Moffatt, unveiled exposed significant shortcomings in the legislation.
Her examination focused on a framework analysis and alignment with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Standards, revealing a glaring omission of critical stakeholders, including civil society, mining companies, and communities, from the MIIF Governance Framework.
This glaring gap, she pointed out, restricted the integration of citizen concerns, industry expertise, and community needs into decision-making processes.
Furthermore, Ms Addochoe Moffatt highlighted the inadequate enforcement of gender quotas, which merely paid lip-service to numerical targets.
“Additional deficiencies in the MIIF Act included the absence of participatory mechanisms for communities to influence revenue allocation and the Act’s overdependence on the Minerals Development Fund (MDF) for community benefits,” she stated.
She pinpointed two critical concerns regarding the MIIF Act: the lack of mechanisms to prioritise vulnerable groups, such as women and indigenous communities, and the absence of formal decision-making roles for communities, thereby limiting their input in decisions that impact their lives and livelihoods.
To rectify these shortcomings, the Country Director of BudgIT Ghana underscored the need for governance reforms that foster transparency, accountability, and inclusivity.
She advocated reforms that incorporate diverse stakeholders, ensure contract transparency, and adopt open data principles. Implementing equity measures that formalise benefit-sharing roles for marginalized groups is also vital.
Earlier, the Executive Director of CEPIL, Mr. Augustine Niber, expressed dismay that despite Ghana’s abundant mineral wealth, it was challenging to track how revenue from these resources contributed to infrastructure development in local mining communities.
He questioned the efficacy of the MIIF Act in driving Ghana’s development and whether funneling a substantial portion of the country’s mineral revenue into the MIIF has yielded tangible benefits.
He emphasised the need for a cap to be placed on this investment fund.