Minister-designate for Environment, Science and Technology, Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, has called for stronger coordination among government agencies and ministries to tackle illegal mining and its impact on the environment and human life.
Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Thursday, August 27, she described the fight against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, as an “all-of-government and all-of-society imperative.”
She said effective coordination among Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) would be critical to addressing the problem and avoiding duplication of efforts.
According to her, illegal mining activities largely take place within the local governance system, making coordination with decentralised agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), essential.
She also advocated regular reporting on interventions to improve transparency and enable the government to assess the impact of measures being implemented to combat illegal mining.
Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings said that, if approved by Parliament, one of her first steps would be to engage ministers whose portfolios are directly connected to the fight against illegal mining.
“The fight against illegal mining and the subsequent damage it does to the environment and human life are an all-of-government and all-of-society imperative. I do believe that the easiest way to address it is to have effective coordination between the Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
“Should I get the approval from this Committee and the House, I would want to sit with the relevant ministers of the various ministries that have an interest in the fight, which would range from the Lands as well as the Local Government, to ensure that we are all on the same page, to avoid the silo effect,” she added.
She said the engagement would provide a basis for a coordinated approach and ensure that all relevant agencies work towards a common objective.
She added that she would work closely with the EPA to obtain a proper briefing on the current situation and ongoing interventions.
