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Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources in charge of mining George Mireku Duker has mounted a strong defence against any call for a ban on small scale mining.
He argues the economic implications of such a decision will be dire on the country especially in the area of unemployment.
Since the renewed conversation on small scale mining, many experts and opinion leaders have called on government to ban small scale mining while it works at new strategies to address teething challenges bedeviling the sector.
But speaking at a stakeholders engagement on responsible mining at Bepoh in the Prestea Huni Valley Municipality of the Western Region, deputy minister of lands and natural resources in charge of mining George Mireku Duker kicked against any such ban.
He argued that the sector offers direct employment to over a million Ghanaians and therefore banning it will have a dire economic consequences on the country.
Mr. Duker mentions government is aware that small scale mining has become a critical economic venture to millions of Ghanaians thus the introduction of the community mining scheme which will allow people to mine but responsibly.
” I can authoritatively say that the large scale mining companies in Ghana who have concessions can only recruit 30,000 people including Ghanaians and expatriates at ago but small scale industries in Ghana offer one million direct employment to only Ghanaians ,therefore i as the deputy minster of Lands and Natural Resources ( George Mireku Duker ) will not agree with anybody who want us to place ban on small scale mining in the country “.
By Enock Baffoe/uniquenewsgh.com
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