Lifeline For Small-Scale Miners

GOVERNEMNT HAS finally offered a total of 480,000 acres of land with potential for gold mineralization throughout the country for small-scale mining. Disclosing this at a press briefing in Accra on Tuesday, Mrs. Esther Obeng Dappah, Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines enumerated 44 districts as beneficiary areas.

  These include Bibiani; Sunyani; Berekum; Ahafo Ano; Sekyere East; Ejisu-Juaben, Atwima; Juabeso; Upper Denkyira; Assin; East Akim; Aowin-Suama; Fanteakwa; Amansie-West and Wassa Amenfi.

Others are Wassa West; Birim North; Twifo Herman-Lower Denkyira; Nzema East; Gomoa; Juabeso-Bia; Birim North; Kwabibrem; Suhum Kraboa Coaltar; Bolgatanga and Central Gonja.

Meanwhile, a group of 25 small scale miners, drawn from the Western, Eastern and Upper East regions of Ghana are set for a two-week study tour of the People's Republic of China.

The move is to boost government's plans of promoting the mining sector in an efficient and sustainable environment.

Mrs. Dappah noted that while in China, the group would visit the Dimension Stone, Limestone, the Precious Stones Polishing mines and other factories in China.

In whipping up their technical know-how, regulatory framework and other relevant aspects of the industry, the 25-member delegation would as well attend a series of small scale mining seminars.

The exposure gained from such an expedition, according to Mrs. Dappah, should usher in a new wind of change in Ghana's small scale mining sector, which would serve as a catalyst for its rapid regularisation.   

She further hoped that their knowledge acquisition would help reduce the incidence of illegal mining activities in the country.

By Nathaniel Y.Yankson