The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Mines, George Mireku Duker, has emphasized the need for the Ghanaian media to collaborate with the government to protect the small-scale mining sector from total collapse.
The Deputy Minister made this statement in an engagement with some news editors in Accra yesterday Tuesday, 29th November, 2022 to bring them to speed on the latest development in the small-scale mining sector.
Whiles expressing his impression with the work of the media in the fight against illegal mining, Hon. Mireku Duker espoused that the media should get involved in the conversation about restructuring and retooling the small-scale mining sector to make it more profitable to the country.
Delivering his address at the media engagement, Hon. Mireku Duker outlined a range of measures rolled out by government which he reckoned would lead to a successful turnaround of the fortunes of the small-scale mining sector with the support of the media.
According to him, the fact that small-scale mining contributes an average of up to 40% of the total gold produce in the country and employs over 1 million Ghanaians among many other benefits, it makes it a key contributor to the country’s economy.
He noted that aside the myriad of benefits the small-scale mining industry contributes to the country, Ghana’s small-scale mining sector is considered one of the best in Africa with an enviable regulatory structure which has propelled many countries to visit the country, learn and implement it in their respective nations.
“Zambia and Sudan have come to emulate from us and currently, the South African High Commissioner is at the Ministry with the same purpose, to understudy Ghana’s small-scale mining sector,” he added.
Hon. George Mireku Duker in an all-encompassing presentation touted the number of measures government had put in place to curb the illegal mining menace, which among other things, include Operation Halt II, Community Mining Scheme (CMS), Training of River guards.
On the procurement of speed boats and training of river guards, Hon. Duker stressed that “we are not just doing a talk shop here, we are on the grounds and the whole mentality is to get our river bodies cleaned.”
Responding to a question from one of the editors on the confiscated excavators, Hon. Duker disclosed that the excavators have been handed over to the Ghana Police Service, and that details about the seized excavators would soon be made available to the media.
He admitted the fight is a herculean one but government is making all the necessary efforts to win and would welcome inputs and expert views from the media on how to effectively communicate the strides made by the government in that regard.
He also debunked all allegations levelled against him as being neck-deep in the galamsey menace; stressing that “I have never been a miner and I will never be. I have only studied and have a good knowledge of the subject matter and that should be on record.”
Shortly after his presentation, the Deputy Minister led the news editors to the Mineral’s Commission’s situational room which houses modern technological gadgets and software for the tracking of all earth moving equipment and explosive machines, and would be commissioned in December this year.
