News:
June 14, 2013
The Member of Parliament for Prestea- Huni- Valley, Hon. Francis Koffie Adu-Blay has called on government to register persons involved in galamsey activities as part of efforts to reduce illegal mining activities in the country.
According to the lawmaker, activities of these illegal miners could easily be monitored if their operations are completely legalised by registering them “under one umbrella”.
The MP, who was speaking in an interview with GhanaMPs.gov.gh, further asserted that, government revenue base will as well increase through payment of taxes from these operators if they were duly registered and recognized as a body in the country.
He added payment of levies to various Districts, Municipal and Metropolitan Assembly by these miners could also assist community development which will subsequently reduce burdens on central government.
Though the MP stated emphatically his support for galamsey activities, he however bemoaned the act of extracting mineral from various water bodies, adding that the most rivers in the country have been badly affected their actions.
He mentioned rivers Ankobra, Asesre, Pra Birem, among others as the most badly affected ones to the extensive mining activities from galamsey operators, reiterating that these actions could have been checked if they were legally registered as a body.
He also appealed to the Lands commission to beef-up their strategies in ensuring that reserved lands are not invaded by these illegal mining operators.
Hon. Adu-Blay also bemoaned the fact the Ghana had no state owned mining company to employ our trained youth into the mining sector.
Emmanuel Frimpong Mensah/GhanaMPs.gov.gh