Ban on small scale minning will increase unemployment – miners

The Ghana National Association of small scale miners has appealed to government not to heed to the numerous calls for a total ban on small scale mining.

According to them, some people have wrongly classified them among illegal miners which they described as unfortunate because their operations have been legalised in the country.

Speaking at a press conference in Kumasi held at the Kumasi culture centre which brought together all the small scale miners across the country, general secretary for the association, Mr Godwin Armah, said, the sector employs over  1 million Ghanaians in the country and a ban will certainly increase the already soaring unemployment rate in the country.

He disclosed that, the sector with 34% of the total gold in the country, has been a major economic contributor and as such deserves support rather than a ban.

He promised the support of the Association in helping government flush out illegal miners who have mingled themselves with small scale miners to sanitize the system.

Speaking on the sidelines of the press conference, upper East regional orgainizer for small scale minners, Inusah Shaibu asserted that Small scale minning provides employment opportunities for a lot of people in the  country and sited the upper east region which employs over 2million people.

 ”if the government bans our operations what will be their source of income,” he querried.

Mr Innusah hinted that the asssociation voted massively for president  Akuf0-Addo due to the promises he made concerning their operations and  bemoaned why the government would call for a total ban on their operations after it took office.

He added that the Association  is ready to collaborate with the government to call to order, those illegal operators whose activities lead to the distruction of water bodies and forests.

Source: otecfmghana.com/Derrick Ekuoba Gyasi