Lawyer Kweku Afari, a Private legal practitioner and a member of WACAM has suggested to government to take a critical look at the small-scale mining industry in the country.
Speaking during an interview, he averred that government must look critically also at the sector, if it wants to use it as a development engine for the nation.
“There is the need for us to take a serious look at the small-scale mining sector. As a country, do we want to use the small-scale mining sector; as one of the engines of development for the country? If yes, then we should begin to put in laws that will protect;and would be in the interest of the industry.”
Lawyer Afari
Lawyer Afari further suggested a review of the mining policies and laws;because with the current one, he noted miners mine anyhow polluting the rivers and destroying the environment.
“Looking at section 17 of the minerals and mining act. We do give mining companies when given the license by;the water resource commission to use water bodies in any form that they want. They can convey, they can divert, they can use water bodies for whatever purpose they want for their mining activities. I believe such a provision as a mining act is injurious to the state of our water bodies because we know its use to us.
“Having provisions in law which gives permission for these companies also to use these water bodies in any form for their activity is something that as a state we should look into.”
Lawyer Afari
Community members must be informed
Also, Lawyer Afari urged that the free prior;and informed concern should be looked at where power will be given to the people in the communities.
“If we are going to give our lands out for mining then we need to be well informed. This means that the people should come [to the communities], tell us the nature of their work and how long the activities will take, what will be their mitigation measures. And in this sense,;it will be more like the community that will be regulating their activities if they decide to accept them to come and mine.”
Lawyer Afari
He indicated that WACAM is also calling for mining companies in the country to mine responsibly taking into consideration the various environmental factors. He then asked the authorities to review various policies to enable it guide miners on how to mine responsibly.
“If it is responsible, it should be done taking into consideration our environment, the rights of the people of the marginalized communities in these mining areas and not just these half laws that will be in the interest of these mining companies.”
Lawyer Afari
He disclosed that another challenge is that, although they are classified as small-scale, some have large concessions which qualifies to be large scale.
“Is it really small-scale as we call it because people can owe so many blocks about 25 acres and still call it small scale mining. When you aggregate all this, you will get about let’s say a large concession that runs into a large-scale mining area. And for this reason, let’s begin to look into this industry.”
Lawyer Afari
