The Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM) has vowed to resist any attempt to ban mining in the country.
The association argues that there is a clear distinction between small-scale mining and galamsey (illegal mining) and that a ban would be ill-timed and unfortunate.
At a press conference, GNASSM General Secretary Godwin Armah called for the immediate arrest of individuals engaging in galamsey activities that pollute water bodies and mines in forest reserves.
The association also expressed its willingness to collaborate with religious and professional bodies to address the galamsey menace.
Armah emphasised that small-scale miners operate legally and responsibly and that they share concerns about environmental degradation.
He noted that river pollution affects their business, as high turbidity levels make it difficult to recover gold.
The association argued that a ban on small-scale mining would unfairly punish legitimate operators who have obtained the necessary permits.
Armah recalled the devastating impact of the 2017-2018 ban on small-scale mining, which resulted in financial losses and hardship for many families.
GNASSM urged the government to enforce existing laws and regulations to address illegal mining activities, rather than imposing a blanket ban on small-scale mining.
“The Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners has noted with great concern recent discussions in the media by Ghanaians on the pollution of river bodies and the destruction of the environment and also mining within the forest reserves.
“We, the members of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners, share in the plight of Ghanaians. We also oppose all forms of illegal mining activities that lead to the pollution of water bodies and the destruction of the environment.”
Small-Scale Miners, in our operations, if we have high turbidities, it becomes very difficult for Small-Scale Miners to recover gold. So most of the Small-Scale Miners now have resorted to digging wells to operate and process our ore. So any river pollution in any form, we are against it because it also affects our business. We wish to emphasize that Nazim is a responsible association and the members are all legitimate Small-Scale Miners who have gone through the process to acquire the alliances to operate.”
“If I have acquired my alliances and any other business in this country goes through the process to acquire alliances to operate, why is it that if someone is perpetrating an illegality, which the law had made provision for sanctions of such persons, we should say that they should ban that sector?
“It’s unfortunate. It’s unfortunate and the National Association will not sit down for what happened in 2017 to 2018 to happen again because most of our members who have gone through the process to acquire the alliances to work were banned.”
At the end of the day, it resulted in people even dying because they’ve taken loans they cannot pay, they have supplies that they cannot pay, and at the end of the day, they were out of business, their families and all that was torn apart. We will not sit down for that to happen again.”
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