Small scale miners want vetting of operators start in earnest

The Association of Small Scale Miners has welcomed the president’s decision to subject its members to a vetting process before they are allowed to mine. According to the Association, the decision is long overdue and should have been the first plan for government in the fight against galamsey. The Director of Operations of the small scale miners, Emmanuel Yirenkyi said this on 3FM’s Sunrise on Friday. He said the idea of thoroughly checking and investigating miners before they are given the opportunity to operate is “something the Association has been fighting since 2013” when they inaugurated a committee to fight the canker. He added that the ban on small scale mining since February this year has affected Association’s members seriously. The miners, he said, are looking forward for a quick start of the process in order to mitigate their challenges. As part of government plans to win the fight against illegal mining in the country, a ten-member inter-ministerial committee was inaugurated headed by Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation. Among other responsibilities, it was tasked to implement government strategic measures in restoring damage caused by illegal mining menace the country is facing currently. The move would ensure that small-scale mining in the country conforms to international standards, rules and regulations. By Seidu Mutawakil |3news.com]]>