The government is preparing to regulate the actions of illegal mining task forces that are operating in mining regions throughout the nation.
This decision comes in response to increasing concerns raised by the Ashanti Chapter of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners regarding the activities of various unregulated groups that claim to be combating illegal mining.
As stated by GNASSM, these task forces have been known to harass and extort licensed miners while functioning without explicit authority.
In reaction to this situation, President John Dramani Mahama convened all relevant stakeholders on Monday, July 7, to discuss the matter.
During a meeting with the Council of State, the President emphasized the importance of maintaining order and coordination in enforcement initiatives.
“I recognize that there are numerous issues we need to address. One of them is the matter of illegal mining, which presents a very intricate challenge, and I am confident that the Minister of Lands has briefed you on this. It is not a straightforward issue; just this morning, I had to call all stakeholders involved in the anti-galamsey campaign to my office so that we can organize their efforts, as everyone seems to be acting chaotically and doing as they please.
“This has resulted in the emergence of illegal task forces that exploit the circumstances, and thus we conducted a productive meeting to streamline operations,” he remarked.
