Galamsey: Miners will mine with data from qualified geologists in my administration – Bawumia

The 2024 flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has promised to regulate the Small-Scale Mining sector in Ghana to ensure that the country benefits immensely from the industry.

Dr. Bawumia who was addressing a stakeholder’s engagement in Upper Denkyira West in the Central Region said his administration will permit registered small-scale miners to make use of data from the Geological Survey Authority in their work.

“We want to implement something new which is that we would cause the Geological Survey Authority to map out the exact location of gold deposits in mining areas so that mining will not just be digging from place to place, the miners will know exactly where the gold is…,” he said.

The data generated from the Geological Survey Authority investigations, Dr. Bawumia continued will be made available to Community Mining Schemes, which he will establish upon assumption of office.

“We would set up community mining schemes and give out the investigations by the miners so that they would know exactly where to mine. They will be mining with the data from the Geological Survey Authority so that they will know where to exactly get the gold…,” he added.

Dr Bawumia continued that he will also establish a Minerals Development Bank for miners as part of his efforts to help boost the sector which has become one of the backbones of Ghana’s economy.

The bank, he added, will provide miners with the needed financial support and equipment to aid mining activities in Ghana.

“I will set up a minerals development bank which will grant miners loans to buy mining equipment to do mining in your particular concessions…we will help you with mercury-free gold catcher machines and also common user facilities in your community mining schemes so that you will get up to 90% from your particular tailings…,” he assured.

Dr Bawumia further stated that his administration will be partners for small-scale miners.

“Half of Ghana’s gold export is coming from small-scale mining, the economy can collapse if we do away with the gold from the small-scale miners, we have one million jobs in small-scale mining so it’s not something we can wish away. But it is something we can help to make it responsible and sustainable…so I want us to regularise small-scale mining by making the licensing regime regularly and this includes making the local authorities and chiefs involved in the granting of licenses…,” he said.

The Vice President further promised his administration would ban miners from mining in water bodies.

“Be rest assured that Dr Bawumia’s government will promote responsible small-scale mining but what we hate is for you to go into the water bodies to destroy the water bodies, that one we don’t like…we want to point to you the key areas and we will bring in settlement dams in those areas and this will help you as far as the processing and washing of the gold and everything is concerned…,” he said.