As part of arrangement to bolster small scale mining activities Ghana and CalBank are close to sealing a $25 million deal to finance small-scale mining operations in the country.
The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources responsible for Mines, George Mireku Duker, who disclosed this, explained that the move would help eliminate the practice where some small-scale miners, as a result of financial challenges, sell their concessions to foreigners sometimes for a pittance.
Speaking at a sensitisation workshop on regularisation of small-scale mining organised by the ministry for media editors in Accra yesterday.
Mireku Duker indicated that 16 community mining schemes had been established which were mining on a total land area of 2299.94 acres.
He also added that 85 district mining committees had been inaugurated in the Western, Western North, Ashanti, Eastern, North East, Upper East, Upper West and Savannah regions.
He said if well structured the scheme would cushion the economy and address unemployment.
Galamsey fight
Mr Duker said the fight against galamsey was a complex one but the government was determined, with the support of the people to bring it under control
He said the people in the galamsey business were nor ordinary people, adding that they were people, some of whom carried sophisticated weapons.
He said the government had procured five speed boats, which had been commissioned and placed under the care of the Ghana Navy.
In addition, the recruitment of river guards was ongoing , with the first 100 already passing out and getting ready for deployment on December 1, this year.
Responding to questions on confiscated excavators, Mr. Duker said that they had been given to the Ghana Police Service and that details would be made available for the media to disperse.
