The government of Ghana has announced a number of programmes targeted at deepening support for former illegal small-scale gold miners (galamseyers) through the enhanced Alternative Livelihood Programme and Community Mining Initiatives.

The Minister of Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, who disclosed this at a press conference in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, said these programmes are to support ex-galamseyers who were affected by the government’s ban on small-scale mining in 2017, and to ensure that the participants benefit from the country’s God-given resources but in a safe and environmentally-friendly manner.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah said: “For those who want to remain in mining but do it legally, the government has introduced the Community Mining Concept through which former illegal small-scale miners are properly registered, trained, given concessions to jointly work on and properly tracked to ensure they mine responsibly. About 4,500 miners have, so far, been trained while some have already been accredited.”

According to the minister, the government initiated the Alternative Livelihood Programme to train those who are no longer interested in mining to work in other economic sectors.

The training covers skills such as oil-palm farming; tailoring and tailoring & dressmaking; welding and metal fabrication; and plumbing & carpentry.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah indicated that: “The expectation of the government is that these interventions will ensure that former miners remain economically-engaged even as the battle against illegal small-scale mining remains in gear.”