Massive Boost for Small-Scale Miners

As part of the efforts by government to ensure responsible mining, President Nana Akufo-Addo, yesterday has commissioned some 100 mercury-free mineral processing technologies machinery for small-scale mining across the country; reiterating, his administration is not against small scale mining, but abhors illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as ‘galamsey’, which is a threat to the environment, particularly water bodies.

The President said his administration is looking forward to procure additional mercury-free processing technologies for the various mining communities.

For the first phase, some 100 of the mercury-free processing technologies, commonly referred to as ‘Gold Katcha’ were commissioned.

Speaking at the Independence Square in Accra yesterday to commission the equipment, President said; “It is our intention to procure some three hundred (300) more of these equipment, under the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme, for use in the various communities where the Programme is being implemented.

“Our goal is to eliminate gradually, but as soon as possible, the use of mercury in small-scale mining, and help realise the objectives of the Minamata Convention on Mercury.”

The launch of mercury-free processing technologies will ensure that small-scale mining is done in a sustainable manner, without the use of poisonous substances like mercury.

The technology extracts gold from ore without the use of mercury, which has been the practice for several decades.

It also has the capacity to recover 90 percent of gold from the ore and, therefore, gives small-scale miners, much more gold than they would have obtained from the traditional method of using mercury.

The programme was attended by various stakeholders including small-scale miners, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of state institutions, Vice Chancellors of mining institutions, chiefs, ministers, the diplomatic corps among others.

The President further assured that the government will do everything to ensure that the environment is protected while sustainable mining is encouraged in the communities where gold deposits are found.

According to him, even though illegal mining, to some extent, has destroyed the environment especially water resources, that will not mean sustainable mining would be stopped.

“We have been for some time, Africa’s largest gold producing country as a result of the contributions made by the small-scale mining sector. It is also not a secret that the sector has been unfortunately, a major vehicle of environmental pollution and land degradation, including the threat posed to life by use of mercury in the recovery of gold and the subsequent release into the ecosystem.

The solution to this, however, cannot lie in the banning of small-scale mining which has been with us since time immemorial”, he said.

President Akufo-Addo continued: “On the contrary, it is to ensure that mining is carried on in a responsible manner, as was done by our ancestors and, in line with international best practices and conventions across all levels of operations.

One of the things to do to helping eliminate associated negative practice is to ensure that small-scale mining supports government drive to optimize the earnings from mining to ensure development, progress and prosperity for all Ghanaians”.

The President emphasized the critical roles small-scale mining and mining as a whole play in Ghana’s economy, saying; “The mining sector makes a very important contribution to the generation of our country’s revenue. According to the Ghana Revenue Authority, in the past seven years, either than in 2014, the mining sector has provided the largest tax receipt.

The small-scale mining’s contribution to the growth of this sector has been equilateral, since it regularization in 1989. Today, small-scale mining accounts for some 40 percent of our gold exports and provides job opportunities and sources of livelihoods and income for many Ghanaians”.

…The initiative under the auspices of the lands and natural resources ministry and the minerals commission, will in its second phase, also provide additional 300, to these small-scale miners.

On his part, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, said the launch of the mercury-free processing technologies, is a further testimony to the vision of the President, to bring the much-needed development and prosperity to all Ghanaians.

According to the sector Minister, since their appointment to the Ministry, he, together with his two deputies, George Mireku Duker and Benito Owusu Bio, have adopted two important approaches in the fight against illegal mining.

He mentioned these approaches as law enforcement and reformation of the sector, ostensibly to protect the environment and ensure that only responsible small-scale mining is encouraged.

He said, the commissioning of the ‘goldkatchers’, is in fulfillment of the government’s commitment to world’s Minamata Convention on mercury, which Ghana ratified on 23 March 2017 by President Akufo-Addo.

The Convention (the most recent global agreement on environment and health, adopted in 2013) states, parties are to take measures to reduce and, where feasible, eliminate the use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale mining.

“The gold catchers Mr. President is about to commission today, is a step towards fulfilling our obligations under the Minamata Convention protecting the health and lives of small-scale miners and the natural environment and, above all, protecting our population from debilitating hazards of this chemical”, he said.

The Minister assured that the distribution of the equipment will be done in a fair and transparent manner.

The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker, thanked the President for his support for the sector, as well as, his long-term vision and exemplary leadership for the effective regularization of the small-scale mining sector.

Mr. Mireku Duker, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tarkwa-Nsuaem constituency, also assured that the distribution of the 100 equipment will be done fairly and used for the intended purpose.

He was hopeful that the new move, together with previous and future ones, will help reduce foreigners financing small-scale mining, which is already an illegality per Act 703.

“We are very optimistic that this initiative, coupled with others that have been already implemented, will go a long way in contributing to our quest of protecting the environment and heritage of this county”, he said

Mercury is a silvery-white poisonous metallic element that is used, primarily, for the manufacture of industrial chemicals or for electrical and electronic applications.

In mines, mercury is used to recover minute pieces of gold that is mixed in soil and sediments. Mercury and gold settle and combine together to form an amalgam. Gold is then extracted by vaporizing the mercury.

But with time, studies have shown that the continuous use of this chemical has led to the destruction of the environment and disease to people in mining communities.

Its exposure can result in life-long disability and is particularly harmful to children. In higher doses, mercury can kill. Its largest-use globally is in small-scale gold mining.

source:theanchorghana