The Small-Scale Miners Association of Ghana (SSMAG) has renewed its call on government to lift the six-month ban placed on small-scale mining in the country.
Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, in April this year, imposed the ban as part of efforts to end illegal mining (galamsey) and its degrading effects on the environment.
The ban is said to be yielding results already with some polluted water bodies showing signs of recovery.
But the Ghana National Small-Scale Miners Association which says its members have been licensed to undertake legal mining insists the group has shown enough commitment and support for government's crusade against galamsey.
Chairman of the Ashanti regional chapter of the association, Frank Osei, in an interview with Class News, said it is time government lifted the ban.
“We are saying yes, government should put monitoring systems in place to eliminate all the bad nuts and make sure people with proper documents will go out there. I think when you speak to anybody, that is what everybody keeps saying, that yes, we that have respected the constitution, have gone through proper procedure to acquire proper documents to do mining in this country and have waited enough so they should give us the chance to go back to work. That is what we are calling on government and Ghanaians to bear with us because we are Ghanaians and that is our investment,” he stated.
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