Galamsey operators vow not stop mining if...

Illegal small-scale miners also known as (galamsey) in the Amansie West district of the Ashanti Region have threatened to return to their sites.

According to the illegal miners, government would have to immediately spell out its guidelines for operations vis-à-vis licensed small-scale and illegal mining and the alternative empowerment programme to absorb those abandoning the mining.

At a public forum held at Manso Nkwanta yesterday, with illegal miners, chiefs and other stakeholders present, some of the miners complained bitterly that they were doing licensed mining but had been lumped up with their colleagues involved in illegal mining.

They argue that, government’s outright ban on small-scale mining is affecting those of them who are doing licensed mining.

The forum was organised by Member of Parliament for Manso Nkwanta, Joseph Albert Quarm, who is advocating a redemarcation of mining concessions to small-scale miners under a supervised regime.

Most of the illegal miners told media that, they could not leave the job until government provide them with an alternative job which will help in their up keep.

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Minister John Peter Amewu, has been touring illegal mining sites within the Western and Ashanti regions after the expiration of a three weeks’ ultimatum which was given to these illegal miners to pack out of their sites.

As part of an anti-illegal mining campaign, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has placed a moratorium on licences for small-scale mining in an attempt to properly map out strategies to clamp down on illegal mining activities across the country.

Pressure has been mounting on other state actors to aggressively deal with illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) following a sustained media crusade against the problems associated with it.

The activities of the small-scale miners have caused severe pollution to the country’s fresh water bodies and destroyed arable lands.