Minerals Commission confident of taskforce

The Inspectorate Division of the Minerals Commission is confident operations of its special taskforce will help curb the widespread illegal mining activities in the country.

The Commission said success will depend on public cooperation and collaboration to expose individuals and syndicates involved in promoting illegal gold mining.

“We’re liaising very well with the national security sub-committee on lands and natural resources, and we’ve been going round arresting, especially, foreigners in the field. That one is never done anywhere in the world, that foreigners will go to some place and start illegally taking up natural property,” said Joseph Frimpong, a Mines Inspector in the Ashanti Region.

There is presently a renewed drive to flush out such illegal miners to save the environment and protect natural resources.

Mr. Frimpong indicated that stopping the illegal activities requires deeper collaborations, especially in reporting such practices at their early stages.

“For small-scale mining, no foreigner is permitted; no foreigner is allowed. Yes, we welcome foreigners but we’re not expecting that they go into illegal activity. Landlords should report them, even though they’ve taken rooms and accommodation in their houses; they are engaged in illegal activities,” he emphasised.

He expects local and traditional authorities as well as other interest groups to be conversant with laws governing mining in the country, especially the Minerals and Mining Act, Act 703 and subsequent legislative instruments.

“All of us are witnessing the way small-scale mining is destroying our environment. As businesses we may need to speak, because if the environment is compromised it will affect the health and safety of our workers of today and the general populace tomorrow -- and it can create problems for all of us. So let us not think that it is the responsibility of only the security agencies,” he stated.