The People's National Convention (PNC) says it would legalise the operations of “Galamsey” when voted into power in Election 2012.

Mr. Hassan Abdulai Ayariga, PNC Flagbearer for Election 2012 said “a PNC Government will regulate the illegal indigenous mining system popularly called the “Galamsey” by forming an association for them in order to monitor their activities as well as operations and make it legal and recognised by the State.

“Our Government shall support them with mining equipment, capital as well as protection from unfair external competitions, indeed we need to review our mining laws to take care of environmental degradation problems”.

Mr. Ayariga stated this at the second in the series of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Evening Encounter with Election 2012 Presidential Candidates with Representation in Parliament, in Accra.

He said the government would introduce new mining reforms to regulate the entitlement proceeds going to foreign mining companies and the inhabitants of mining communities.

Mr. Ayariga said the intention was to ensure a fair treatment to local inhabitants of the mining area...”We shall achieve this by paying more attention to developing the mining communities through ploughing back the proceeds from our mines.

“The foreign policy of the PNC Government shall be in consonance with worldwide acceptable principles of public international law and diplomacy, and in a manner that will not compromise the national interest or sovereignty of Ghanaians.

“In order not to subordinate the dignity and independence of Ghana to foreign interests, all international agreements, contracts, treaties and conventions that will be executed on behalf of or for Ghana shall be subjected to scrutiny and ratification by Parliament.”

On the energy sector, the PNC flagbearer said a PNC led administration would adopt a mixed approach and a strategy to build more hydro-electric dams to support existing ones.

He said the PNC Government would also exploit the abundant wind along the coastal areas to generate more electricity and further exploit the sunshine in the country to generate additional electricity and explore the possibility of using the nuclear reactor to generate electricity.

“All this put together will make our country self sufficient in energy production,” the PNC flagbearer stated in an attempt to woo the electorate to vote for the party in the December polls.

Explaining further to the GNA on modalities for the encounter, Mrs Jean Mensa, IEA Executive Director, said in addition to organising Presidential Debates this year, it would organise four evening encounters with the Presidential aspirants of political parties with representation in Parliament.

The IEA is of the conviction that those who wished to govern must allow themselves to be subjected to scrutiny by the people to ensure that they understand their concerns and have the capacity to address them.

It is being supported by STAR-Ghana, a multi- donor pooled funding mechanism (Funded by DFID, DANIDA, EU and USAID) and the Netherlands Institute of Multiparty Democracy.

Dr Michael Abu Sakara Foster, Flagbearer of the Convention People's Party (CPP) was the first to face the public through the IEA platform to project the party’s manifesto.**