Government Adopts Inter-Sectorial Collaboration To Tackle Galamsey Menace

Government has adopted an inter-sectorial collaboration and approach to tackling the illegal mining (Galamsey) activities in the country which is ravaging water bodies and the environment, the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Mr. Joseph Kofi Adda has announced. “We have been meeting, a number of the ministries including the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources supported by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Ministry of Regional Reorganization and Development,” Mr. Adda emphasized.

Galamsey in Ghana has recently become a hot-button issue due to the alarming proportion it had assumed with its corresponding wanton destruction of forest reserves and pollution of water bodies.

He said the inter-sectorial team would soon come out with some ideas to confront the “Galamsey” menace and that further consultations were being done with all the stakeholders and once Government was ready with those policy directives it will come out with them for implementation.

Mr. Kofi Adda made the announcement during a Stakeholders’ Dialogue Session organized by the Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS) in Accra. The Stakeholders’ Dialogue which was under the theme: “Re-Defining Strategic Priorities for Sustainable WASH Services Delivery” was aimed at ascertaining the vision of the new Ministry for Sanitation and Water Resources towards sustainable delivery of sanitation and water for all; coordinating technical support for shaping and operationalizing the vision of the new Ministry for Sanitation and Water Resources; developing operational strategies and providing technical backstopping for the new ministry to achieve results; building consensus for engaging the new ministry on an effective and efficient set of actions for addressing Ghana’s sanitation challenge; proposing structural reforms for driving the sustainable delivery of WASH services by the new ministry; and identifying priority areas and solicit practical proposals for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 6 and other international WASH commitments.

According to Mr. Kofi Adda, while the Government was looking at the enforcement bit, it will also look at alternative employment opportunities for those who felt that they have no other opportunities or choice than to engage in galamsey. “We still encourage those who want to engage in mining should apply the laws, go for a permit and comply by the regulations laid out by the minerals commission and do mining in a responsible manner” Mr. Kofi Adda explained.