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Gov’t to support small mining firms

The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Mines, George Mireku Duker, has stated that the government is committed to create local champions in the small-scale mining sector.

Date Created : 4/26/2022 12:00:00 AM : Story Author : Ghanadistricts.com

He explained that the support for the local entrepreneurs to grow was premised on the conviction that they would graduate into large-scale miners, saying "Once we do that, we can retain most of mining proceeds in the country.”

The deputy minister who made this known said the initiative would be facilitated by the Minerals Commission.

He said some local banks had set aside funds to support the purchases of mining equipment for operators in the small-scale mining industry.

The initiative is an arrangement between the government and some banks to support local people with the needed capital to mine responsibly and stop involving foreigners in the small-scale mining (SSM) sector.

Mr Duker urged LMCs to help the Minerals Commission to regulate and regularise the small-scale mining sector in the metropolises, municipalities and districts in mining regions.

In particular, he urged the committees to work with other stakeholders in the mining communities to ensure that mining activities did not have a negative impact on water bodies.

The deputy minister said the government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources would continue to work towards sanitizing the SSM sector.

Additionally, he said, the government had procured speed boats to enhance surveillance on major river bodies.

Again, he said, the ministry had advanced processes to recruit river guards to protect water bodies from illegal miners.

He reiterated the fact that it was illegal for mining to be done in forest reserves and rivers because those areas had been designated as red zones.

For his part, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Amenfi East, Frederick Korankye, said the LMC in the area would collaborate with stakeholders to sanitise the SSM sector.

He also said the committee would work diligently to identify viable concessions for the CMSs to promote local participation in the SSM sector.

The MCE called for the needed support in terms of logistics for the LMC for it to perform that role.