95 Licenses Issued To Small Scale Mining Association
The government has issued 95 Small Scale Mining Licenses to members of the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners.
The licenses were signed after a thorough audit of the operations of the beneficiaries.
Also, part of the government seeks to ensure responsible and environmentally-friendly mining.
Sector minister, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, issued a strong warning to cancel the licenses of any firm that violates the law.
“We are going to monitor closely that, these concessionaire licensees are going to follow the terms of these licenses strictly. If they deviate from any of the terms, they should rest assured that the licenses will be revoked.”
The government expects that miners will ensure and provide basic structures and amenities designed for responsible mining in line with the health, technical, and safety policies of the mining industry.
Controlling irresponsible mining is costing the nation while heavily polluting and drying the country’s water bodies.
Ghana’s forest reserves are also speedy decreasing due to the activities of irresponsible miners.
To reduce the impact of such negative activities, the government launched and bring about some procedures including the provision of a mercury-gold collector, night vision gear, and speed patrol boats, among others.
A deputy Lands and Natural Resources Minister, George Mireku Duker, listed and explained the impact of some of the interventions.
The General Secretary of the Small Scale Miners, Godwin Amoah, assured the government of the cooperation and commitment of their members to ensure responsible mining.
