Galamsey Crisis: Lack of Legal Mining Zones Fuels Chaos, Warns Minerals Commission Boss

The Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Martin Kwaku Ayisi, has identified the absence of designated areas for small-scale miners as a key factor driving the proliferation of illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey. Speaking at a public session of Parliament’s Assurance Committee on Monday, October 7, 2024, Ayisi warned that without addressing this critical issue, efforts to combat illegal mining would remain ineffective.

Ayisi pointed to the government’s lack of funding for exploration as a major obstacle to identifying legal areas where small-scale miners can operate. He revealed that Ghana has not conducted any exploration since 1989, citing inadequate financial support for the Geological Survey Authority as the primary reason. “Since 1989, we haven’t conducted any exploration,” he said, highlighting the long-standing neglect of this crucial area.

Tracing the history of small-scale mining in Ghana, Ayisi explained that such activities were largely restricted from the colonial era through the era of Kwame Nkrumah’s administration and the establishment of the Precious Minerals Marketing Corporation (PMC). He further noted the impact of structural adjustment policies in the 1980s, which led to the privatization of state-owned mines in areas like Tarkwa, Prestea, and Dunkwa. “That’s why today, people say we no longer own our mines,” Ayisi remarked.

The CEO also discussed the introduction of the Small-Scale Gold Mining Law in 1989, driven by recommendations from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). While the law aimed to formalize artisanal mining, Ayisi questioned the validity of the comparisons used at the time, remarking, “I don’t know what diamond or gold is produced in Togo.”

To address the land shortages for small-scale miners, Ayisi outlined four strategies the government is currently pursuing. These include redistributing land surrendered by large-scale mining companies, canceling unused licenses, and returning previously explored areas to the state. However, he acknowledged that these efforts would take time to bear fruit.

Ayisi welcomed recent commitments from Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, who pledged $10 million for geological surveys, as well as similar promises from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). He emphasized the need to differentiate between legal small-scale mining and galamsey, stressing that formalizing small-scale mining operations should be the focus.

Highlighting the growing scale of the small-scale mining sector, Ayisi noted that the number of miners has surged from 100,000 in five regions during the 1990s to over 3 million miners across 13 regions today. He warned that the state’s failure to provide legal areas for these miners has worsened the galamsey problem, stating, “It’s the biggest headache we have as a nation right now.”

Ayisi called for sustained political and financial support to address the issue, stressing that until more resources are allocated for exploration, the fight against galamsey will remain an uphill battle.

Source: ghananewsonline.com.gh