The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources in charge of mining, Mr. George Mireku-Duker has cautioned managers of Community Mining Schemes against the destruction of cocoa farms for mining activities.

He explained that, the concept of community mining is to empower local communities, create job opportunities and control the destruction of the environment by illegal miners.

Community Mining should therefore take place in a socially acceptable and sustainable manner. Mr Mireku-Duker was speaking at the inauguration of the Afransie Community Mining Scheme in the Wassa Amenfi East Municipality of the Western Region.

According to him, community mining like all small-scale mining is regulated by law and that, it is incumbent upon the managers to ensure that, mining is done in a regulated and sustainable manner without disturbing the environment, particularly water bodies. Widespread illegal mining activities across the country which brought in its wake the destruction of water bodies occasioned a national call action to be taken.

Several initiatives and interventions were introduced with the view to controlling the menace. Most these illegal activities were undertaken mostly by non-indigenes with the help of some indigenes.

It is to address this problem and empower gold-endowed communities to fight this menace that, government introduced the Community Mining Schemes, where the communities undertake mining activities in a regulated manner under the supervision of the District Mining Committees with representation from the assembly, the police and the traditional authorities among others.

Mireku-Duker said since the introduction of the concept, several thousands of jobs have been created. “We at the Ministry are ready to help bring to fruit any community with gold deposits and desirous of going into Community Mining.

However, they have to go through the process and the licencing regime”, he said. The Deputy Lands and Natural Resources Mining however pointed out that, “we will not countenance any act that will impact negatively on the environment”.

The Western Regional Minister, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah said gold is key to the economy and encouraged mining companies to increase their output which will benefit the entire nation.

“Gold for Oil is one initiative which has helped stabilised our currency, we as a government will believe in mining but must be done in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner,” he said.

For his part, the MCE for Wassa Amenfi East, Mr Frederick Korankye urged the company to adopt safe mining practices and called on the workers to be hard working for the company to grow and employ more people.