Small scale mining contributes 12% of total gold production in Ghana – Dr. Aubynn

Small Scale miners both legal and illegal, popularly known as ‘galamsey’ contribute 12% of total annual gold production in Ghana and employs more people in the industry than the big companies, Dr Toni Aubynn has said.

Dr Aubynn, who is the Chief Executive Officer of The Ghana Chamber of Mines made this revelation when he took his turn to educate a group of journalists from Uganda and Ghana on the Value of Mining for the Community at a 10 day Media Capacity building on Oil, Gas in Accra.

According to him, most small scale miners operate illegally and they do not rehabilitate the area they exploit and the nuisance they cause is unbearable but if they can be motivated and regulated, their contribution in developing the economy of the country would be overwhelming.

He regretted the fatalities that result from their activities and proposed that a mining fund should be set up to take care of the streamlining of the activities of mining.

The 2010 annual report of the Chamber says, illegal miners have resorted to the use of hazardous chemicals such as cyanide and mercury with their adverse effects on health of operatives and communities as well as pollution of water bodies.

The report states that, the involvement of foreign nationals, particularly the Chinese who illegally supplied dredging equipment and crushers to the illegal miners under the guise of providing services to the small scale miners is contributing to the escalation of the menace.

Meanwhile, the Chamber has presented completed templates of security situations at affected mines to National Security on Lands, Forestry and Mines to help develop strategic plans to combat the menace, he said.

By Pascal Kelvin Kudiabor