Pius Enam Hadzide
EVEN THOUGH the President Akufo-Addo’s government has vowed to continue its fight against the menace of illegal mining popularly known as galamsey, there still appears to be hope for illegal miners or galamseyers who want to continue their trade, under the new community mining program that the government has introduced.
Deputy Minister of Information, Pius Enam Hadzide told journalists in Accra on Sunday that under the regularized and reformed mining policy framework, some 3,000 former galamsey operators will now be grouped under the community mining program and given proper concessions to also mine under strict regulations.
Mr. Enam Hadzide explained that all other former galamseyers who desire to mine again will have to apply, be trained and allocated a proper concession to mine in accordance with the policy framework.
Fight Continues
Addressing journalists at the Information Ministry’s bi-weekly press briefing, the deputy minister said “the fight against illegal mining popularly known as galamsey remains in full force even as government rolls out a comprehensive policy framework for mining.”
Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, who doubles as the Chairman of the Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), stressed that after the various measures that government had put in place to sanitize mining operations in Ghana, “there should, therefore, be no logical reason why any person in Ghana should engage in illegal mining”.
Miners Return To Work
Meanwhile, some 900 small-scale miners nationwide whose concessions have been duly validated, are expected to resume work today, Monday, December 17, 2018.
That follows government’s lifting of the ban on small-scale mining activities on Friday, December 14, 2018 in Accra.
Prof. Frimpong Boateng, announced the lifting of the ban at the outdooring of government’s new policy framework on regularizing and reforming mining activities in the country.
However, only small-scale miners whose concessions or permits have been duly validated are expected to resume work.
As a result, government announced that it was going to publish in newspapers and online today, names of companies that have so far been validated.
The lifting of ban on small-scale mining, Prof. Frimpong Boateng had indicated, did not mean a lifting of ban on illegal mining or galamsey, saying that the fight against galamsey shall be sustained.
He explained that government had deemed it necessary to lift the ban following the successful implementation of the roadmap for the lifting of the ban, further warning that the ban has been lifted for only small-scale miners whose concessions have been duly validated and that it does not signify a lifting of ban on galamsey.
Validated List
According to Prof. Frimpong Boateng, mining firms whose names shall appear on the list of validated entities shall, following the publication of the list, work under the regularized and reformed framework.
Mr. Enam Hadzide indicated that “the list of compliant miners shall be published in the electronic and print media this week of 17th-23rd December, 2018. This information shall also be available on the notice boards of the municipal and district assemblies.”
Reforms
Prof. Frimpong Boateng noted that among the reforms introduced are the need to amend laws that allow foreigners to provide mining services to Ghanaians; the need to ban the fabrication and transportation and the use of dredging equipment on water bodies; the abolishment of the practice of bulk sampling.
Background on Ban
It would be recalled that the ban on all small-scale mining activities was introduced by President Nana Akufo-Addo in February 2017, in order to stop the negative effects illegal small-scale mining activities otherwise known as galamsey, were having on river bodies and the environment in Ghana.
IMCIM was subsequently formed in March, 2017 by the president to probe into the activities of the galamseyers and also go into a deliberation with them and all necessary stakeholders.
Arrests, Prosecutions
As part of government’s initiative to stop illegal mining activities in the country, the President formed a taskforce known as Operation Vanguard.
The taskforce, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng reported earlier in August this year, had so far been able to arrest 1, 339 illegal miners made up of foreigners such as persons from DR. Congo, China among others and that out of the number, there has been 10 percent prosecution so far.
He stated that about 614 excavators, 84 vehicles, 82 motors, 5,739 Changfans among others, were seized in the process.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Small-Scale Miners Association has pledged to further support the President Akufo-Addo’s government in the fight against illegal mining in the country.
BY Melvin Tarlue