The Mining Industry in Ghana: A Blessing or a Curse

Mining has become a controversial business everywhere. Issues of mining are in the wake because of the increasing demands for mineral products and diminishing nature of such minerals in the West. This seemingly opportunity for developing countries like Ghana which have mineral deposits comes with its accompanying repercussions. This paper looks at the general mining environment as a whole, narrowed down to developing countries with emphasis in the Ghanaian context. The impact and contributions of the sector to the economy, as well as the emerging trends of the industry in Ghana in terms of law enforcement are touched on. This conceptual paper identifies that with the international mining industry becoming more cosmopolitan, developing countries will have to develop a competitive mining regime based on greater economic equality, mutual benefit and in accordance with generally accepted notions of fairness.