Government will this year (2018), begin vetting all small-scale miners across the country to regularize and monitor their activities.<\/p>\n
The move will ensure that small-scale mining is done in a responsible, environmentally-friendly and sustainable manner.<\/p>\n
[contextly_sidebar id=”zijuQB9ufMiMxb1nWuKLmZAixlgIuvlX”]This was disclosed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the commissioning of the Secretariat for the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) at Cantonments in Acccra.<\/p>\n
The Secretariat, situated at the Office of the President Annex, is also expected to enable the Committee to achieve its long-term objective of combating illegal small-scale mining, protecting the environment, and ensuring that mining in the country conforms to international standards, rules and regulations.<\/p>\n
The Secretariat would be the nerve centre of anti-galamsey operations, and would serve as a means of executing the President\u2019s agenda to end the degradation of the environment.<\/p>\n
\u2018Operation Vanguard\u2019, which is a flagship exercise by the IMCIM, to curb the degrading activities of galamsey operations, as well as all other interventions, also aims at regulating the artisanal gold mining sector and would be coordinated from that office.<\/p>\n
President Akufo-Addo said he was \u201cresolute and immutable\u201d in his commitment to banish the spectre of galamsey \u201cfor our own common survival, and the survival of those who are to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
He was emphatic that \u201cwe would be jeopardizing both our present and our future\u201d, if illegal small scale-mining went unchecked.<\/p>\n
The President said government was entering a new era in its efforts to formalize the small scale mining industry, so as to achieve sustainable mining with sound environmental practices.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the weeks and months ahead, I expect to see optimal co-ordination amongst participating Ministries and the District Mining Committees, as well as close interaction with Operation Vanguard, small scale miners and the general public. I expect the Committee to receive regular reports from mining centres, so that illegal activities can be dealt with immediately,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
President Akufo-Addo stressed that with the office for the Inter-Ministerial Committee in place, \u201cthere is going to be constant, close and effective monitoring and reporting of anti-galamsey activities, so that the right thing is done all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis new phase will demonstrate our resilience and commitment to ensuring that our water bodies, land and forests, with their biodiversity, are not destroyed, \u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The President urged the Small Scale Miners Association, from the national to the community level, to \u201chelp in self-regulation of activities of their members, and also ensure that no one engages in illegal activities, especially mining in our water bodies.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also commended the media for the patriotism it had exhibited in the fight against the galamsey menace, and urged it to intensify the campaign against illegal small-scale mining because \u201cwe must preserve our environment for posterity\u201d.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: GNA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Government will this year (2018), begin vetting all small-scale miners across the country to regularize and monitor their activities. The move will ensure that small-scale mining is done in a responsible, environmentally-friendly and sustainable manner. [contextly_sidebar id=”zijuQB9ufMiMxb1nWuKLmZAixlgIuvlX”]This was disclosed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the commissioning of the Secretariat for the Inter-Ministerial Committee […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":246543,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10,11],"tags":[8,3,506,7221],"yoast_head":"\n