Suspending Mining Activities For A Year Not Feasible - Small Scale Miners

The Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners has rejected proposals for a year long ban on all forms of small-scale mining and also the Okyehene, Amoatia Ofori who also made this proposal, explained that the moratorium will ensure a total review of the small-scale mining regime but however in an interview, the General

Secretary of the Association of the Small Scale Miners, Godwin Armah, said community involvement is a more viable approach to the fight against the illegal mining. I think the ban will not be the way forward. We have to recognize that over the years too, we have depleted the forest cover of our country and the statistics are also

frightening and indeed with all that has gone on since independence. The unsustainable harvesting of all our forest reserves, the felling of trees, and also the lack of aggressive afforestation have resulted in the depletion of forest cover of our country. Adverse consequences of the situation are dire. The time for action is now. We

need to do something drastic about it and this is why, in accordance with the vision of the President, we have also developed a two pronged strategy to reverse the situation. The Okyehene’s suggestion comes at a time when the government too has renewed its fight against illegal mining, which has also led to the destruction of

excavators and other equipment used for illegal mining activities. This action has been widely condemned by some persons who believe the seized equipment could serve other useful purposes, but the President has also justified the move, daring all the persons who have been affected by the exercise to seek legal redress. The small

scale mining activities were suspended for over a year to sanitize the sector and to deal with the menace of the illegal mining head-on. But even after the long ban, illegal mining still persists, compelling the government to escalate its efforts in a renewed fight.