Adhere to laws on community mining – Minister

Mr Kwaku Asomah Kyeremeh, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, has asked those engaged in the community mining schemes to adhere strictly to the laws guiding their operations.

He said mining should benefit the people and not to destroy natural resources in communities.

“We should ensure that mining is done in the right way, within the tenets of the law, and will not destroy our natural resources”, he told the youth of Manso-Nsania in the Amansie West District, during the launch of a community small scale mining scheme in the town.

Community mining scheme is a strategy being implemented by the government to formalize small scale mining in communities and reduce illegal mining (galamsey), which was destroying the natural environment.

The launching of the scheme in the community is expected to provide job openings for hundreds of young men and women to get the opportunity to engage themselves in approved small scale mining activities in the community.

Mr Kyeremeh pointed out that the community mining scheme was a deliberate effort by the government to ensure that mining benefited the people in the lawful manner.

“Today, we are launching a type of mining that will benefit all of us. We need to protect our natural environment to sustain our lives”.

He urged the young people who will participate in the scheme to adhere to all the laws and “do a good job so that money will return to Nsiana community.

Mr Joseph Albert Quarm, Member of Parliament for the area, said it was the responsibility of the people to protect their community by ensuring that water bodies, forests and other natural resources remained in their natural state, not only for themselves, but their future generations.