George Mireku Duker, a deputy minister of lands and natural resources in charge of mines, has launched a community mining scheme (CMS) in Afransie in the Western Region's Wassa Amenfi East Municipality with an instruction to miners to engage in ethical and sustainable mining.
The government's effort to create jobs through ethical and sustainable small-scale mining is furthered by the environmentally friendly, modernized, and mercury-free mining module.
Yesterday, Mr. Mireku Duker launched the Wassa-Afransie Community Mining Plan alongside the Western Regional Minister, Kwadwo Okyere Darko Mensah, and a few traditional shamans.
"The CMS regulations and safety precautions must be rigorously observed," he said in his remarks at the event to commission the small-scale mining enterprise.
The deputy minister stated that 100% avoidance of mercury during mining was one of the appropriate mining practices.
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Mr. Mireku Duker handed mercury-free equipment to the operators to aid in the discovery and processing of gold on behalf of the government and deter the miners from breaking the regulations.
"You must mine in accordance with the restrictions imposed by the Minerals Commission's granted licenses. It shouldn't be your typical gala. As this location is an alluvial concession, you must put procedures in place to ensure that any land you dig up is later recovered. The conventional way of doing reclamation must be followed.
The government has acknowledged that mercury is dangerous and bad for the environment; therefore, we have devices that will help you mine the gold that are mercury-free, he continued.
In contrast to the mercury chemical, which had an efficiency rate of 40%, the deputy minister said that the mercury-free equipment would allow them to extract up to 90% of the gold in the ore body.
The restrictions, according to the deputy minister, are part of the government's effort to clean up the small-scale mining industry.
Mr. Mireku Duker maintained that the rules and actions were intended to promote income and employment in the small-scale mining sector while refuting claims that the government was attempting to collapse the industry.
He urged everyone involved in illicit mining, also known as galamsey, to stop since it was harmful and a danger to the nation's water resources and forest reserves.
The deputy minister also emphasized that the CMS will provide profitable and long-lasting jobs for the locals while directing them to safeguard the area's water resources.
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