Director of Goldenstar Resources, Mona Quartey has charged the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) to vividly illustrate to local communities that engaging in illegal mining activities is ridding off their communal resources. 

She believes that communication between the IMCIM and the communities involved in galamsey isn’t enough but illustrating a future where members of the communities are forced to deal with the lack of basic amenities like water,  is the solution to completely rid off the illegal mining activity.

“The community must see in pictorial form, the future of their community. The people who are doing these mining activities illegally will go away when the resource is no longer there. What will you have left?” she lamented on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Saturday.

Stressing further, the former Deputy Finance Minister said, after the illegal miners have left “you’ll be expecting government to come and spend money to clean up your community, give you better water at a higher price than they usualy give everybody else because waterbodies are so turbid and you would’ve killed off your animals.  You will also no longer be interested in farming.”

Even though the IMCIM collaborates with local communities to stop galamsey as part of its mandate, she explained that some local communities still participate in galamsey operations while others collect a ‘mafia tax’ from illegal miners. 

While acknowledging that most illegal miners engaged act in a desperate attempt to cater for their families, Mrs Quartey questioned the worthiness of risking one’s life today in a dangerous exercise without considering the consequences for the future.

She urged the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining to use their access to the communities to their advantage and make stronger impacts in the communities.