Mahama Vows To Improve Galamsey Regulation When He Wins 2020 Elections

Former President John Dramani Mahama has stressed that he will prioritize regulating artisanal small-scale mining (Galamsey) when he wins the 2020 elections with the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

According to him, he will regulate Galamsey to ensure sustainable employment for the youth. He also explained that he will put measures in place to ensure artisanal mining or better still Galamsey is environmental friendly especially to our water bodies.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) since taking over as government has been fighting against illegal mining to preserve the environment and ensure Galamsey becomes a thing of the past. They have however stressed that they are not against small scale mining but rather wants to ensure mining is done in the right way in order to protect the environment.

Addressing separate meetings of mining communities in the Upper Denkyira East and West Constituencies in the Central Region as well as Obuasi East and Obuasi West Constituencies in the Ashanti Region yesterday, Former President Mahama disclosed that the past government during their time in government realized that using the military to fight galamsey was not the best way to go.

Hence their decision to come up with new and better ways to clamp down on the menace. He has assured that his new government after 2020 will adopt a new legal way of addressing the problem.

“But the current government is promising a new policy and we are hoping that they implement it to allow small-scale miners to start working immediately. If not, the NDC government to be formed after the 2020 general elections, would implement a new regulation to enable the small-scale miners to work effectively”, he said.

Mr. Mahama, who is currently on a four-day campaign tour of the Ashanti Region ahead of the flag bearer election of the NDC later next month. Former President John Mahama will be competing with former Trades Minister, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, and Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin; academic and politician, Prof. Joshua Alabi, former CEO of National Health Insurance Authority, Sylvester Mensah and Goosie Tandoh.