Govt to Lift Ban on Small Scale Mining in 2018

The Land and Natural Resources Minister, John Peter Amewu, has hinted that the ban on small scale mining may be lifted by the end of January 2018.

Government imposed a six-month ban on all forms of small-scale mining in a bid to clamp down on the destructive activities of illegal miners.

The ban which was expected to be lifted by the end of October this year was extended for three more months prompting protest by the Small Scale Miners Association.

Speaking in an interview with Accra-based Joy FM; Mr. Amewu said the ban will soon be lifted to enable the miners work.

He said currently small scale mining licenses are undergoing some form of auditing and that when the process is completed it will be recommended to cabinet for the ban to be lifted.

“…Definitely we going to recommend to cabinet approval for [the lifting] of the ban,” he assured.

Nonetheless, he swiftly mentioned that the lifting of the ban will be hinged on “the level of cleanness of the river bodies across the country and also the number of people that have been trained and the validation of the licenses and the willingness for reclamation.”

He said the government expects the small scale miners to go for some form of reclamation bond even before they go back to their new licenses.

Source: Starrfmonline