President Akufo-Addo has ordered one hundred (100) mercury-free gold processing machines, dubbed "Gold Katcha," for use by small-scale miners around the country.
President Akufo-Addo commissioned the gold processing equipment in Independence Square on Monday, June 6, 2022, describing it as "another major milestone in small-scale mining and environmental sustainability."
Akufo-Addo has ordered 100 mercury-free gold-processing machines.
As the name implies, the one hundred (100) Gold Katcha equipment recovers gold from ore without the use of mercury, which has been the practice for decades.
The technology, according to President Akufo-Addo, "has the potential to extract over ninety percent (90%) of gold from the ore, giving small scale miners significantly more gold than they would otherwise."
Akufo-Addo has ordered 100 mercury-free gold-processing machines.
He added that "we owe it as a duty to protect and safeguard our environment by reducing and, eventually, eliminating the use of such harmful chemicals," referring to Ghana's commitments under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which is to reduce and, where possible, eliminate the use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale mining.
President Akufo-Addo said that part of the equipment he commissioned has already been given over to Community Mining Schemes and the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners, and that he is optimistic that it would help to encourage clean mining in the small-scale sector.
Akufo-Addo has ordered 100 mercury-free gold-processing machines.
"We intend to obtain another three hundred (300) people." "Under the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Program, we intend to purchase around 300 more of these items for use in the various localities where the Program is being implemented." Our goal is to eliminate mercury usage in small-scale mining gradually, but as quickly as feasible, and to contribute to the Minamata Convention on Mercury's goals," he added.
Akufo-Addo has ordered 100 mercury-free gold-processing machines.
"What my government is against is any form of mining that pays no heed to the environment," President Akufo-Addo said, reiterating his government's full support for responsible small-scale mining activities, especially as they provide avenues for Ghanaians to participate in the mining industry and contribute significantly to the development of our gold sector.
Akufo-Addo has ordered 100 mercury-free gold-processing machines.
He promised that the government would continue to pursue policies and programs that would encourage ethical and sustainable mining operations that would benefit the country's growth.
"It is my desire, and I believe it is the wish of most Ghanaians, that the recipients of these items would put them to good use for their personal benefit as well as the country's," he said.