Minister-designate for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, has called for stronger collaboration between government and institutions responsible for regulating small-scale mining as part of efforts to ensure that mining activities are conducted legally and responsibly.

Speaking during his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Thursday, August 27, Mr Ayariga said he would prioritise engagement with the relevant agencies rather than seek to interfere with their statutory responsibilities.

He said the focus should be on working together to improve monitoring and compliance within the mining sector.

“I will approach the job with that attitude that let’s engage and ensure that they are doing it (Small Scale Mining) legally,” he said. He specifically mentioned the need to engage the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Minerals Commission and support efforts to strengthen their capacity to monitor mining activities.

Mr Ayariga said mining engineers and other technical personnel should be available to identify where mining is taking place and ensure operators comply with environmental and legal requirements.

He also stressed the importance of reclamation, saying those engaged in mining must restore degraded areas and return them to their original or productive state.