By: Desmond Cudjoe
Management and workers of Tarkwa Community Mine have kicked against calls for the ban of small-scale mining in the country. According to them, the wholesale will have dire consequences for the country.
Government must therefore resist the attempts to ban mining operations including community mining companies.
The Tarkwa Community Mine argues that, their operations, which occur in an underground environment, are within the remit of the mining and minerals laws of the Country.
The General Manager of the Mine, Mr Mark Adu-Hene during an interaction with the “Miners for Bawumiah Campaign Team”, posited that, the calls for the ban are not well thought-through, in that, illegal miners are those responsible for the destruction of the environment and water bodies.
A number of individuals and groups have in recent times made passionate calls on government amidst demonstrations and protests to temporarily place a ban on small-scale mining activities.
The calls come in the wake of the wanton destruction of water bodies and environment through various mining activities. Mr Adu-Hene contends that, the Tarkwa Community Mines which is an underground operation, directly employs around five thousand people including university graduates with thousands of indirect jobs.
The Miners for Bawumiah (M4B) is currently on a tour of mining communities to engage the operators and miners on the policies of the NPP and Dr Bawumiah to ensure sustainable mining in the country.
A Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr George Mireku-Duker who is also the MP for Tarkwa maintained that, certain political organisations and groups could not arrogate certain power to them and call for the ban on mining operations in Ghana.
“This government will not ban mining today or tomorrow. Galamsey is already banned in accordance with the mining regulations. It’s already illegal, so what is in the call for the ban. If you say ban, then it means you are banning responsible mining. So, why call on government to ban responsible mining in the country”, he asked.
Mr Duker told the groups that government would not sit down for anybody or groups to undermine its efforts to build and promote mining economy within the mine enclaves in Ghana, arguing that, the extractive industry should not be the preserve of foreigners and the capital markets.
He highlighted the case that Ghanaians and indigenous capital investments also deserve to exploit the minerals for their benefits which will bring about jobs, wealth creation and vital livelihoods for the local economy.
He said, “banning community mining would snuff-out the oxygen for the local economy, cripple incomes and livelihoods and ultimately, threaten the stability and security of families.
Mr Mireku-Duker rather urged the groups to support government in the promotion of responsible community and small-scale mining.