The Communication Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) says the next government will ban the export of all unrefined gold produced by small scale mining companies.

Sammy Gyamfi said the flagbearer of the NDC, John Mahama, intends to establish a gold refinery in gold producing regions of the country.

This, he said, is an intervention that will create jobs in the mining area for unemployed youth in the mining sector.

He added that the NDC will put in place measures to protect water bodies and forest reserve from further degradation.

“This interventions in the mining sector that I have outlined will create thousands of jobs for the teaming unemployed youth in the mining sector while protecting our environments.”

The Communication Officer also said the next Mahama government plans to develop a national policy to restructure the small mining sector and establish a gold board.

“We will set up a Gold Board to provide mining support services to the sector raging from health, safety, equipment financing and efficiency in mining operations among others.”

Sammy Gyamfi stated that the NDC administration will compel small scale miners to undertake skills training in land reclamation as a required component of their operations.

This, he said, will minimise the adverse environmental impacts mining poses.