Ghana’s government has placed a moratorium on licensing of small-scale miners following upheavals from civil Society groups on the menace.
It follows calls by groups such as the Wassa Association of Community Affected by Mining (WACAM) and the General Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU) for a ban on mining.
They lament the activities of illegal miners is impacting negatively on agriculture and the environment.
Read: Ghanaians wage ‘war’ against illegal mining as water bodies dry up
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources John Peter Amewu, said on Wednesday that the moratorium is aimed at helping fight the illegal small-scale mining menace popularly known as galamsey.
He told local media Joy FM that “I have not signed a single small-scale mining licence since I assumed office. This is an attempt to sanitise the system. “Some of the small-scale miners who are originally mandated within the regulatory framework and with a concession to mine in a sustainable way are also not doing that.”
The Government last month launched a Multilateral Integrated Mining Project to address the illegal mining menace. The initiative which is being spearheaded by the Lands and Natural Ministry is to be rolled out within the next five years.
Source: Africafeeds.com/ Fred Dzakpata
