The Ghana National Association of Small-scale Miners has accused regulatory agencies within the mining industry of failing to enforce the country’s mining laws strictly.
According to Association, this has resulted in the destruction of most of the country’s water bodies by illegal miners.
[contextly_sidebar id=”LYQ2R4f3v1lR0J4zRlUQmIZaHEhKiCxL”]The Association also says the mining industry has stringent rules and regulations which when enforced will sanitise the system and allow them to work freely.
Speaking to Citi News, Director of Operations for the Association, Emmanuel Yirenkyi called for strict enforcement of the country’s mining laws.
“We have enough laws that govern our mining activities in this country. There is no other industry that is well regulated or has enough laws. We have agencies that are supposed to be responsible for enforcing and preventing any illegality that is going on and so if we see illegal mining thriving, who are we to blame? Without enforcing the law, without regulators doing their job, people will flout the law.”
The government in a bid to clamp down on illegal mining, popularly referred to as Galamsey placed a six-month ban on small-scale mining.
The ban was however extended in October 2017, for another three months, which ended in January 2018.
President Nana Addo at a sensitisation workshop for traditional rulers and the clergy on illegal mining in Ghana, organised by the Ministry of Chieftaincy indicated that the ban would soon be lifted.
The President indicated that shortly, the government would issue a statement “setting out a comprehensive roadmap including the lifting of the ban to deal with a permanent basis this threat poses to the present and future health of our nation.”
The small-scale miners have consistently called on government to lift the ban on small-scale mining.
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By: Marian Ansah/citinewsroom.com/Ghana