After suspending the operations of small scale miners for about two years in a bid to protect the country’s water bodies and lands following a surge in illegal mining operations otherwise known as Galamsey, government has lifted the ban on small scale mining effective Monday, December 17.

Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Prof. Frimpong Boateng addressing stakeholders and the media at the Launch of Government’s new policy framework on regularizing/reforming mining activities in Ghana explained that the time was ideal for the lifting because the Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) had devised means to regulate small scale mining across the country.

Prof. Frimpong Boateng who also serves as the Chairman of the Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) was however quick to add that only mining organisations and firms which had been vetted and validated by the committee had been given the mandate to resume operations; adding that government will crack the whip on any other individual or organisaton that indulged in the mining.

He noted that so far about 900 of the vetted and licensed miners have been cleared to go back to their concessions on Monday, having vetted some 1,350 licensed small scale miners.

“Having successfully implemented the strategies outlined in the road-map, the ban on small-scale mining is being lifted on Monday 17th December 2018 for miners who have gone through vetting successfully within the regularized and reformed framework”.

Procedure to enable a concession to operate include obtaining valid company registration documents; valid permits and licenses from regulatory agencies such as minerals commission, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Water Resources Commission; and the company must have a valid Tax Identification Number (TIN).

Procured equipment for operations especially excavators and bulldozers are to be licensed by Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and also electronically tagged by approved agencies in order to aid tracking.