An association of small-scale miners in the country says it supports the new mining policy framework introduced on Friday by the government.

The Concerned Small Scale Miners Union of Ghana (CSSMUG) has promised to ensure that the new policy is adhered to by all its members ahead of the start of small-scale mining on Monday, December 17.

“We wish to assure the good people of Ghana of our strict resolve at ensuring the new policy is adhered to by all our members even as we ready ourselves to go back to our various concessions to commence work. While we welcome the lifting of the ban wholeheartedly, we would not lose sight from the scathing effects it brought on our lives, families and the general economy of Ghana, especially in the various mining districts.

“We would support every effort of government at safeguarding the environment and our water bodies for posterity's sake and for the general well being of our generation. We, however, wish to advocate that in future, if the government ever wishes to streamline the activities of any other sector of business, it must be done expeditiously, thoroughly and more humanely,” the association assured in a press release issued on Friday, December 14.

The government on Friday announced the lifting of the ban on small-scale mining, effective Monday, December 17.

Minister for Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng said on Friday, December 14, 2018, that the two-year ban is being lifted because an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) has successfully developed a comprehensive policy framework to regularise small-scale mining across the country.

He, however, stressed that only small-scale miners that have had mining concessions validated will be allowed to mine in designated areas.

“The ban on small-scale mining is being lifted for the compliant ones to go back to work within the regularised and reformed framework. The list of complaint miners will be published in the electronic and print media on Monday, 17^th December 2018,” the Minister said during the launch of the framework at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC).

Read the CSSMUG statement in full below.

CSSMUG welcomes new mining policy framework and lifting of ban on Small Scale Mining

The Concerned Small Scale Miners Union of Ghana (CSSMUG) has taken note of the outdooring of the new Mining Policy Framework by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) and the subsequent lifting of the ban on Small Scale Mining at an event in Accra today, Friday, December 14, 2018.

We wish to assure the good people of Ghana of our strict resolve at ensuring the new policy is adhered to by all our members even as we ready ourselves to go back to our various concessions to commence work.

While we welcome the lifting of the ban wholeheartedly, we would not lose sight from the scathing effects it brought on our lives, families and the general economy of Ghana, especially in the various mining districts.

We would support every effort of government at safeguarding the environment and our water bodies for posterity's sake and for the general wellbeing of our generation.

We however wish to advocate that in future, if government ever wishes to streamline the activities of any other sector of business, it must be done expeditiously, thoroughly and more humanely.

As we celebrate the end of a tortuous period of twenty months of unemployment, devastation, broken homes and shattered lives, we wish to remember the many souls which fell along the way as a result of the moratorium.

We have lost fathers and breadwinners, we have lost businesses and investments, we have lost our places in our homes as real men, some of us have been chased and imprisoned for debts, but today, we say, it's better late than never.

We are going back to work as reformed businessmen and pledge to contribute our quota to the development of this nation.

We call on all Small Scale Miners to commit to the new policy framework and join in the fight to uproot illegal mining from our various districts as we chart a new course to bring sanity to this venture.

We are hopeful that, not again, would we suffer the mistakes of the past but we would work diligently to make the sector attractive to the youth of Ghana.

We however impress on government to do it's part in ensuring that, Small Scale Mining remains a preserve for Ghanaians; the recent busts of weapon-wielding expatriates ravaging our virgin forests for gold must be a major worry for us all.

We would not countenance any foreigner or even Ghanaians who would attempt to mine without the requisite permits and/or licenses.

We cannot end without saying a big thank you to the media and all stakeholders who played their parts in ensuring we reached this milestone.

It has been a long, harsh and painful wait, but all is well that ends well.

Long live CSSMUG

Long live Small Scale Mining

Long live Ghana.

Signed:

Michael Kwadwo Peprah