Minerals Commission wants action against illegal miners

The Chief Executive of the Minerals Commission, Dr. Toni Aubynn, says Commission supports the use of security personnel to rid-off illegal miners.

He stated that the Commission supported small-scale mining, it rejected any form of illegal mining in the country’s mining sector.

He said the Act allows for small scale mining by only Ghanaians in order to ensure employment and income generation for Ghanaians, especially those residing in local mining areas.

At a media forum in Accra, Dr. Aubynn said: “The Minerals Commission will encourage community-based co-operatives to acquire small scale licences and liaise with the Ghana Investment Promotions Centre (GIPC) to promote investment in plant pooling for small scale miners.

“I will encourage community-based co-operatives to acquire small-scale mining licence,”

Dr. Aubynn said: “Minerals Commission would foster the efficient and effective regulation, management and utilization of Ghana's mineral resources through the development of solid knowledge-based and self-led organisation.

“The Commission would create a congenial atmosphere in which all stakeholders would work as partners in a safe environment to achieve a common goal in sustainable development.”

He assured that the Commission will ensure the speedy development of the proposed Assay laboratory in Accra.

This, he said, will help in ascertaining the quality and purity of gold exports from Ghana, thereby help to determine the actual value and the proceeds that will accrue to the state.

Dr. Aubynn explained that the Commission has set out a programme to intensify its collaboration with stakeholders with the view to ensuring transparency and adherence to regulatory provisions in order to close trust gap.

Targeted actors for the programme will include industry, chiefs, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), the media, community members and key government institutions that supported the management of the mining sector.