The Ashanti Regional Organiser for the Small Scale Mining Association, Kwaku Duah, has commended the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia for the measures he outlined to protect small scale mining in the country.

According to Mr Kwaku Duah, sustainable and regulated small-scale mining will protect the environment and workers as well.

He was reacting to the recent promises made by the 2024 flagbearer of the NPP, Dr. Bawumia during the presentation of his vision for the country at a lecture held at the University for Professional Studies in Accra.

Addressing the audience, Dr. Bawumia who spoke on 'Ghana’s Next Chapter; Selfless Leadership and Bold Solutions For the Future', said he will support the Minerals Commission and key stakeholders to formalize the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) sector to ensure that the activities of the entire value chain are sustainably and responsibly done .

"Our goal is to assist in the transformation of small-scale mining operations into larger entities through capacity building and access to financing for equipment acquisition. By supporting them, we can create numerous millionaires within the small-scale mining industry," Dr. Bawumia added.

He also highlighted the importance of assisting the approximately one million Ghanaians involved in small-scale mining to transition towards responsible mining practices. He emphasized the potential to create wealth and protect the environment through this approach.

"This initiative aims to ensure sustainable and responsible mining practices, with a significant portion of the gold produced being sold to the Bank of Ghana and added to the central bank's gold reserves," he explained.

To facilitate responsible mining, Dr. Bawumia announced plans to license miners engaged in such practices overseen by District Mining Committees. He emphasized the importance of adhering to licensing regulations to avoid any seizures or destruction of mining equipment.

Furthermore, Dr. Bawumia proposed the decentralization of the Minerals Commission and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure their presence in all mining districts. He also outlined measures to register every Ghanaian involved in small-scale mining under the Ghana Small Scale Miners Association using their Ghana Card.