The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has presented 95 signed mining licences to members of the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASSM).
The mining licences was to enable the miners explore gold from their concessions.
Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, who presented the licences in Accra on Tuesday, explained that the issuance of the licences was in line with government’s commitment to the growth of the small-scale mining sector.
He said it was the vision of the government to create a complete value chain which would result in value retention in the sector.
The Minister disclosed that the government was in the process of building a completely new small-scale mining sector characterised by responsible mining, employment and improved living conditions for miners and mining communities.
He added that the government had adopted two approaches, reformation and law enforcement in transforming the sector and warned that the government would be ruthless in its fight against illegal mining and other illegalities in the sector.
“Those who will not come under the umbrella of the responsible small scale mining should know that the Ministry will come after them ruthlessly. All measures will be thoroughly enforced with no apologies.
Seizure and decommissioning of mining equipment will continue unabated as we continue to clampdown on activities of illegal mining,” Mr Jinapor noted.
He said the government was undertaking to build a new gold purchasing model, similar to that of the Produce Buying Company in the cocoa sector.
Under this model, he said gold purchasing would be led by the Bank of Ghana and appealed to the members of the small-scale mining association to support the government to achieve the intended objective.
George Mireku Duker, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources in-charge of Mines, in a presentation outlined government’s support for the small-scale mining sector, including the reduction of withholding taxes.
He further disclosed that the government through the Minerals Commission had introduced a mechanism that allowed for easy application and granting of mining resources.
The General Secretary of the GNASSM, Godwin Armah, expressed gratitude to the Minister for implementing some proposals made by the group, adding that the Association would continue to partner the government to ensure that the mining sector was developed to its apex.
BY CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS
