The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has revealed that his government is putting in place measures to ensure that small-scale mining is conducted in a sustainable manner.

According to the President, “the sustainable small-scale mining regime we envisage will protect our environment and protect the workers as well.”

Touching on the issue of “galamsey” in his address to workers at this year’s May Day celebrations, at the Independence Square, on Monday, 1st May, 2017, President Akufo-Addo conceded that “since the Almighty blessed us with precious minerals, there will be mining in our country.”

He was, however, unequivocal about that fact that “this present generation does not own the earth, we hold the lands in trust for generations yet unborn and we cannot destroy it.”
The President continued, “I have not yet met anyone who is engaged in galamsey who is satisfied with the degradation of our lands and our environment that currently comes with galamsey. We are not fighting to put people out of work by seeking to end galamsey.”

The President noted that all indications point to the fact that galamseyers, do not make much money, as they are routinely cheated from getting a fair price for the gold they find, and, as such, government is “encouraging the establishment of gold refineries, which will pay fair prices to the miners.”

President Akufo-Addo acknowledged, with special thanks, the support and role being played by the media in this fight against “galamsey”. “The media, with the overwhelming support of all well-meaning citizens, have given true meaning to the call for all ‘to be citizens and not spectators’,” he added.