Godwin Armah addressing Journalists
The Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASSM) has expressed worry over the wrong perception the public has about their activities; comparing them to galamsey operators whose activities result in the destruction of water bodies and the environment.
The activities of illegal miners (galamsey) have become a headache to government, civil society groups among others, for being responsible for pollution of water bodies and destruction of vegetation.
Members of the public are worried that the methods of extraction of the gold ore which involves the use of deadly chemicals such as mercury and cyanide could lead to a situation where the country would likely import water if their activities are not regulated.
Speaking during a media briefing in Accra on Monday, the General Secretary of GNASSM, Godwin Armah argued that their method of operation differ significantly from those of the galamsey operators and regrets that the distinction between the two groups has still not been known.
“We have been issued with license from the Minerals Commission to operate as miners in concessional areas known to our regulators yet we are treated as if we are illegal miners and our equipment most often vandalized by members of the mining taskforces,” he lamented.
The General Secretary explained that while galamsey operators use dredging machines to operate directly in water bodies members of GNASSM in their concessional areas operate 150 meters away from water bodies according to the regulations governing them.
Mr. Armah stated that aside contributing about 1.8 bn USD in taxes to the national kitty annually, GNASSM also creates employment for a number of people.
“We stock the Minerals Commission’s shops with the required gold merchants need whereas the large scale miners have their markets outside the country and therefore export everything they extract from our soils,” he stressed.
He said they provide a number of interventions such as provision of boreholes, classroom blocks, re-forestation projects in the communities within which they operate as part of their social responsibilities.
The General Secretary while welcoming government’s efforts to flush out illegal miners explained that members of GNASSM have been licensed and operate according to laid down regulations and should therefore not be taken for galamsey operators.
“We are happy that government is coming out with a number of measures to address the mining sector and as an organized group, the GNASSM is prepared to dialogue with government as well as collaborate to have a lasting solution to the menace,” he indicated.
By Solomon Ofori