The ban placed on all small-scale mining activities across the country a little over a year ago, has been lifted, Peacefmonline.com can confirm.
The Government of Ghana, through the Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, who is also Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, announced the lifting of the ban this afternoon.
“We can imagine that this decision to lift the ban will elicit varied responses from Ghanaians....There will be many who will say that the water bodies are still polluted and so the ban must be maintained. On the other hand, there will be those who will argue that hundreds if not millions of Ghanaians whose incomes are related to small-scale mining are under extreme pressure that they can no longer cope with the sustained ban,” he said at a meeting with journalists in Accra on Thursday, 16 August 2018.
As part of efforts to deal with the effects of illegal small-scale mining popularly known as 'galamsey' on the environment and water bodies across the country, the Akufo-Addo-led government through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources placed a ban on all small-scale mining activities shortly after coming into office.
The ban, which has been in existence after the government assumed office in January 2017, was to ensure the re-claiming and re-afforestation of mined-out areas, restoration of impacted water bodies.
Government subsequently launched a joint military and police taskforce called Operation Vanguard to fight recalcitrant galamseyers.
After a year of comprehensive research and careful consultation with all interest groups, the committee completed the Road Map that will regulate the activities of the Small Scale Miners and guide their operation.
More soon.....
Prof Boateng said several measures have been put in place as part of a roadmap to streamline activities in the sector.
He disclosed that small-scale miners were trained over the period of the ban at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa on the best mining practices that will not harm water bodies and the environment.
“So far, we have trained about 3,000 small-scale miners all at the expense of the government,” he said.
Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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If this is true, I may say Akufo Addo is an AssssssHoleeee !!! He doesn't know what exactly he's doing !!
'The ban placed on all small-scale mining activities across the country a little over a year ago, has been lifted, Peacefmonline.com can confirm'. A BIG LIE! Ghana Journalist! ARMCHAIR & ILLITERATES!
The ban has not yet been lifted.
Shame on you peacefmonline. The ban has not been lifted. Did your representative see and hear differently from what transpired at the press conference? What kind of journalist did you send there. He is a disgrace. What he reported was a complete distortion of the facts. He must be sanctioned by the chief executive of Despite group of companies. What was given out there was a road map which will lead to lifting of the ban before December 2018. This assurance was given by Prof. Frimpong Boateng.
NOT TRUE...PLEASE..THE MINISTER DID NOT LIFT BAN ON SMALL SCALE MINING PLEASE CHECK YOUR FACTS
Peacefmonline, did government lift the ban on small scale mining or galamsey(illegal mining)What sort of journalism is this. You are always twisting facts. you and your editors should be ashamed.
Interesting. How exactly has the ban on galamsey been lifted and how is this so-called lifting of the ban going to impact the environment and water bodies? And how is the galamsey even going to be done? Is this what the local banks were doing? Supporting galamsey in this country? And if this bunkum is correct, how does that also impact the agricultural-led industrialization policy of gov't? Governance and development requires discipline and focus, without it, you have nothing. Through discipline and focus Lee Kuan Yew changed history and story of Singapore because he kept at it and stayed the track and never wobbled or faltered. It was an unbending and unyielding will and was ready to involve the masses to achieve the supreme national agenda of the nation. He got it right as history has proven.
Hmm African politicians are all the same. There goes our lands and waterbodies. Cry my beloved country, Cry!