The Deputy Minister in charge of Mines, George Mireku Duker, indicates that the Community Mining Scheme initiative embarked on by government cannot be likened to illegal mining.
He said the initiative is a clearly distinct one from the illegal small-scale mining known widely as ‘galamsey’ in the country.
According to Mireku Duker,;whereas illegal mining is typified by reckless dissipation of Ghana’s rich mineral resources,;Community Mining is a well-regulated mining initiative that poses little or no harm to the environment.
Throwing more light on their differences,;Honorable Mireku Duker;made the distinction that unlike small-scale mining which is dominated by foreigners acting in collusion with some unpatriotic Ghanaians, community scheme is the preserve of the communities where the resources are mined.
“This new type of mining is safe. Community mining is a licensed form of mining with government providing technical officers to ensure that the mining is being done in accordance with the law.
“Minerals Commission have issued all the document needed for mining so no security personnel will harass you. Minerals Commission will continue to monitor and ensure compliance”.
The deputy minister made the comment during the inauguration of the Community Mining Scheme at Jakubo in the Amansie Central District of the Ashanti Region today, September 9, 2021.
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CMS part of efforts to purge mining sector
Honorable Mireku Duker explained that community mining forms part of government’s efforts to purge the mining sector activities that degrades the environment. He disclosed that government hopes to create 7000 direct jobs to youth in the area.
The Minister urged the people to obey the regulations put in place by government and in order not to compel the state to revoke their mining license.
On his part, the Member of Parliament for Amansie Central, Honorable Emmanuel Akwasi Gyamfi paid tributes to the Lands and Natural Resources Minister for making his constituency one of the beneficiaries of the scheme.
He lamented about the negative extractive practices that have over the years destroyed the country’s vegetative cover and also urged the community members to contribute their quota to the success of the Community mining scheme initiative and warned against breaking the laws.
Gov’t on Community Mining Scheme
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Samuel Abu Jinapor has been vocal in his belief that illegal mining can be tackled through the expansion of the Community Mining Scheme (CMS) in which host mining communities are embedded into the mining value chain.
The initiative, which was launched during President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s first term, is the government’s response to tackling galamsey, with the aim of creating thousands of new jobs in host communities lawfully, under the purview of the Minerals Commission and exclusively for Ghanaians.
The CMS is a policy which is meant to align with the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 which regulates the small-scale mining industry. The government aims to create thousands of jobs nationwide through the scheme by legitimizing the participation of residents of host mining communities in small-scale mining.
