Committee to Streamline Illegal Mining Activities in A/R inaugurated

An eight member committee has been inaugurated to regulate and streamline the activities of illegal mining in the Ashanti Region. 

The committee, chaired by the Deputy Regional Minister, John Alexander Ackon, is expected to conduct periodic inspection on small scale mining sites in order to take pre-emptive actions needed to stop illegal mining in the region. 

Other members of the committee are the Regional Police Commander, Commander of the 4BN, representatives from the Minerals Commission and Environmental Protection Agency, with the Chief Director at the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council as Secretary. 

The committee has also been mandated to scrutinize mining licenses and any relevant documents on mining concessions to ascertain the terms of engagement agreed on by the authorities and the small scale mining companies. 

Outlining the scope of operations of the Committee at its inauguration in Kumasi, the Regional Minister, Dr. Samuel Sarpong said the committee has no fixed timeline. It is further mandated to confiscate equipment and vehicles used in illegal mining activities. 

He therefore called on all small scale miners in the region to present their licenses to the committee for inspection in their own interest. While urging the committee to live up to expectation, Dr. Sarpong warned that any member found to be collaborating with the illegal miners would not be spared.


GBC