700 mining concessions unclaimed – Government

Government has indicated that about 700 mining concessions have not been claimed by small-scale miners in the country.

Owing to the development, government has extended the validation of all concessions which would pave way for the lifting of the ban on small-scale mining.

Information Minister-designate, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, who made this known to journalists on Tuesday in Accra, said the state was considering re-allocating the 700 unclaimed concessions to illegal small-scale miners who have been trained to do legitimate mining at the end of the validation process which in a few weeks.

Currently, the Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) set up by President Akufo-Addo about a year and half ago and chaired by Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Prof. Frimpong Boateng, is validating about 1,350 licences submitted so far.

The vetting process started on 3rd September, 2018 after a year-long ban on small-scale mining.

The process was supposed to last for a week but had to be extended, according to the Secretary to the Inter-ministerial Committee, Charles Bissiw.

Mr. Bissiw pleaded with the miners to appear before the Committee to claim their concessions so as to speed up the process to finally lift the ban.

It would be recalled that on August 16, 2018, Prof. Boateng held a press conference and outlined the roadmap for the lifting of the ban on mining.