Ban on small scale mining lifted

Government has announced the lifting of the ban on small scale mining from Monday December 17, 2018.

The Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng who made the announcement at the Accra International Conference Centre today December 14, 2018, stated that that the two-year ban is being lifted because an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining has successfully developed a comprehensive policy framework to regularise small-scale mining across the country.

He stated that all small scale mining companies with verified concessions can resume work.

“Having successfully implemented the strategies outlined in the road map, the ban on small scale mining is being lifted as from Monday 17th December for miners who have gone through vetting successfully to go back to work within the regularized and framework.

The Minister, however, emphasized that only small-scale miners that have had mining concessions validated will be allowed to mine in designated areas.

“The ban on small-scale mining is being lifted for the compliant ones to go back to work within the regularised and reformed framework. The list of complaint miners will be published in the electronic and print media on Monday, 17^th December 2018,”

Hon. Prof. Frimpong Boateng explained that information on vetted artisanal miners will also be made available on the notice boards of municipal and district assemblies.

“Unregistered or illegal miners who were referred to as ‘galamseyers’ are being organised into community mining cooperatives and provided with concessions to work legitimately under the supervision of the district committees,”

President Akufo Addo announced the ban after concerns over the heavy pollution of water bodies and the destruction of large acres of forests.