The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has described Ghana's mining industry as Africa's premier destination for investors.

According to the Minister, once there is adequate capital injection into the development of the industry, its potential would expand exponentially, considering the foundation being laid by the government.

Speaking at a meeting with captains of industry in China, precisely Hong Kong and Beijing, the Minister touted the relevance of Ghana's resource governance standards being championed by President John Dramani Mahama.

He mentioned gold production in the country, which is currently performing creditably well, while noting that the capacity and potential of that mineral alone could expand the country's mining industry exponentially.

Consequently, he said President John Dramani Mahama has tasked his Ministry to invite investors to join the country in unlocking the potential of the natural resources Ghana is endowed with, with the support of the right private sector investment framework.

Apart from the abundance of the natural resources, which is unquestionable, the Minister said Ghana has developed the required regulatory frameworks, provided national policy direction regarding the setting up of institutions, and offered long-term goals in terms of its determination to improve value addition to all the natural resources.

He indicated that the setting up of GoldBod, the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations (NAIMOS) Secretariat, the review of mining laws, and the building of structural value chains, among others, have been done by the government to reposition the country's mining industry.

The Minister, therefore, called on Chinese and other international investors who are playing diverse roles in the global capital markets to turn their attention and operations to Ghana.

"Our country is open for business. We are considered a top producer of gold in Africa," the Minister said.

"Ghana was called Gold Coast in the past because of our gold. The fact still remains that we have untapped gold resources that seriously require capital investment. This is going to unlock the potential of the resource, and investors, in return, would reap the benefits of their investments," he said.

Administratively, he explained that the government of President John Dramani Mahama, upon assuming office, identified several loopholes in the management of Ghana's gold and other natural resources by previous administrations and, therefore, has been working assiduously to provide credibility, predictability and certainty in the management of the resource.

"We are departing from the way things were done. How the resources were managed in the past. We were basically mining and taking away the resources to other countries without adding value to the commodity," he stated.

In terms of connectivity with other countries and institutions, and objectivity in handling the industry, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah assured potential investors of the government's determination to change the narrative.

"We are very open for business and would protect and project investors. But we would equally make sure that we are not shortchanged. We can concretise our business relations with a win-win situation," he assured the Chinese.

On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Isaac Tandoh, explained the growing performance of the mining industry in Ghana and projected its trajectory, as well as the systematic synergies being created by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to remove bottlenecks and make the industry's development and growth sustainably grounded.

The Director of Mines at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Kwame Ahoma, also touched on the availability of critical minerals, as well as evolving dynamics in the exploration and production of minerals in Ghana.

Ghana's Ambassador to China, Ambassador Kojo Bonsu, who accompanied the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah, and his delegation to the various meetings, said Ghana would benefit significantly from the introduction of various proposals by the Chinese investment community.

He said they were eager to get involved in the mining industry but would definitely require adequate support from all relevant institutions managing various sectors of the industry.

They include the Bank of Ghana, Minerals Commission, GoldBod, among other establishments, to give impetus to the interest being shown in Ghana's mining industry by the Chinese.

During the three-day visit to the Asian country, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah had the privilege of meeting members of various business groups in Hong Kong and Beijing.

They included the Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange Society, Hong Kong Precious Metals Traders Association Limited, Hong Kong Gold and Silver Ornament Workers and Merchants General Union, Hong Kong Gold Exchange, among others.