Kumasi: The Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM) has petitioned the government to intervene and immediately release all excavators and other machinery seized from licensed small-scale mining sites.
According to Ghana News Agency, at a press briefing in Kumasi, Mr. Abdul Razak Alhassan, National Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Association, explained that some security officers, sometimes acting under the influence or protection of powerful political figures, storm mining sites with impunity, confiscate equipment, demand illegal payments, and, in some cases, violently eject miners from land they have legally licensed to mine.
The PRO highlighted that this had been happening across various mining communities in the Ashanti, Western North, Upper East, Eastern, Western, and Savannah Regions, where countless hardworking small-scale miners were being targeted and terrorized by these security personnel. He emphasized that such activities undermined formal small-scale mining initiatives by the government and the Reset Agenda, demanding an immediate end to these practices.
He further stated that members of GNASSM had always engaged in responsible and ethical mining practices and had never defended illegality. The Association has supported and collaborated with the government to enforce restrictions at the RED ZONEs (Forest Reserves, water bodies, and buffer zones), a practice they intend to continue.
Mr. Alhassan also noted the significant socio-economic prospects of the small-scale mining sector if managed properly. He pointed out the employment opportunities, the supply of raw gold for value additions, the upstream, midstream, and downstream linkages benefits, and its integration into the local economy.
The Association suggested that the National Anti-illegal mining Operation Secretariat (NAIMOS), launched by the sector Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, be adequately resourced to handle illegal mining issues in a more coordinated manner. They also demanded stronger protection for licensed small-scale miners, including clear protocols for police operations on mining sites to promote responsible mining.
The Association advocated for an alternative approach, emphasizing that force could not always be used. They proposed engaging illegal miners to correct the issues they have caused and formalizing them where practicable. GNASSM expressed readiness to lead this approach if given the opportunity, stating they have the tools and resources to achieve this objective.
Finally, the Association called on the government to enhance the capacities of security agencies to understand small-scale mining operations and the licensing regime of the sector.