President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commissioned 100 mercury-free gold processing equipment, commonly referred to as Gold Katcha.
The commissioning was held on Monday, 6th June 2022 at the Independence Square, in Accra.
The equipment extracts gold from the ore without the use of mercury, which has been the practice for several decades.
This equipment has the capacity to recover over 90% of gold from the ore, and, therefore, gives small scale miners much more gold than would have been obtained from the traditional method of using mercury.
“It is our intention to procure some 300 more of these equipment, under the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme, for use in the various communities where the Programme is being implemented”, says President Akufo-Addo.
“Our goal is to eliminate gradually, but as soon as possible, the use of mercury in small-scale mining, and help realise the objectives of the Minamata Convention on Mercury”, he added.
Speaking at the event, President Akufo-Addo said government will come hard on persons still engaging in illegal mining popularly known as galamsey.
He maintains that, government has not relented on its fight against the menace and will come after all persons polluting the environment.
