Ghana Chamber of Mines calls for efforts to stop galamsey

The Ghana Chamber of Mines, has called for collective effort to combat the granting of lands to illegal miners.

Mr Ahmed D. Nantogmah, Director of Public Affairs and Communications of the Chamber said at Koforidua in the Eastern Region, that the foreign nationals who come to Ghana to undertake illegal mining are often invited by Ghanaians who lead them to the illegal mining sites and their presence might not be known to the law enforcement agencies.

Mr Nantogmah argued that, those who engage in illegal mining would not get access to the land if landlords and traditional authorities refuse to grant them.

He explained that, the argument that illegal mining provides employment for the unemployed is unacceptable because people should not be allowed to gain employment at the disadvantage of others, sometimes to the threat of the lives of others.

Mr Nantogmah called for people interested in small scale mining to be motivated to apply for license to practice responsibly.

He called for a second look at the local content law to make it obligatory for citizens who win contracts to ensure that, their supplies are products manufactured in Ghana to ensure most of the money involved stays in the country.

The Public Affairs Director argued that, such a policy could promote the establishment of import substitution companies in the country, reduce the demand for foreign currency and support the stability of the Ghanaian currency, while creating employment in the country.

He said there are a lot of supplies for the mining industry, which are currently imported, but could be produced locally and cited the case of activated carbon which is manufactured from the fibre of coconut.

Mr Nantogmah called for an increase in the percentage of the mining royalties paid to local communities from 10 per cent to about 30 per cent, and to be directed at providing infrastructural development projects for mining communities to appreciate the direct contribution of mining to the development of their communities.

Source: GNA