Educate illegal miners on licensing – Association of Small-Scale Miners

The Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM) has called on government to educate galamseyers on the processes involved in obtaining a mining license.

Greater Accra Regional Chairman of GNASSM, Ernest Ansah-Owusu, believes illegal mining still exists mainly because illegal miners are not aware of the appropriate channels to use in legalizing their activities.

In an interview with Happy FM’s Don Prah on the ‘Epa Hoa Daben’ show, he proposed: “A lot of the miners don’t have the information on the processes for obtaining licenses for mining. So, I suggest that the Government educates glamseyers on how to get licenses so they can mine in a way that will not be detrimental to the country”.

Ernest shared that the President’s directive of deploying 200 soldiers to hunt down galamseyers has revealed that illegal miners on site are more than miners with licenses to operate.

“Government’s directive has exposed more illegal miners. Apparently, the illegal miners including Chinese people are more than the legal miners. Those with licenses to operate are few but the galamseyers are the ones in operation now”, he said.

He, thus, noted that a mass education exercise for these illegal miners was very necessary at this time.

Meanwhile, Ernest has commended the President for reviving the fight against galamsey.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has authorized the Ghana Armed Forces to deploy 200 soldiers to go after all persons involved in illegal mining popularly known as galamsey.

A release from the Information Ministry stated that the move is to ensure that mining within water bodies is immediately stopped. This latest action to fight galamsey comes after the Stakeholder Dialogue on Small Scale Mining on April 14.

The statement added that the operation commenced on Wednesday, April 28th, 2021, on the River Pra in the Central and Western regions of Ghana.