The Artisanal & Small Scale Mining-Africa Network (ASMAN) is a Non-Governmental ASM Platform involved in natural resources and environmental governance advocacy, particularly the promotion of responsible and sustainable Small Scale Mining (SSM). ASMAN has challenged the Minerals Commission to be more serious about tackling challenges in management of the SSM sector and to address the root of the problem.
The Executive Director of ASMAN, Mr. Nii Adjetey-Kofi Mensah, said they have observed with grave concern the downwards trends of the profile level of services for SSM within the Minerals Commission during the last decade. ASMAN therefore calls on Government to streamline the structure affecting the paradigm shift in the mentality and mindset regarding characterization of the SSM sector.
The mindset and debate should focus more on SSM as a wealth-creating sector rather than one that is ordinarily linked to a poverty-driven activity.
The promulgation of the Small-Scale Gold Mining Law, 1989 (PNDC Law 218) gave birth to the legalization of the small scale mining sector; and a Small Scale Mining Project (SSMP) was instituted with a Director at the helm of SSM project management at the Minerals Commission.
Now, twenty-five (25) years down the line, instead of celebrating this establishment, there is cause for concern. The hierarchy of the SSM project has gradually been reduced with the leadership position of the Director becoming an Assistance Manager. The consequence of this reduction in hierarchy is that it has increased the bureaucracy in dealing with SSM issues. For example, it takes a lot more procedural steps before issues pertaining to the SSM project gets the attention of management, thus creating delays in measures towards influencing any emergent and timely policy direction and change in the SSM sector.
Nii Adjety continued that, to better appreciate the economic importance of SSM, there is the need for accurate and reliable data on the population involved in the SSM sector. It is common knowledge that data in this sector is not current, and even the World Bank data on the SSM population in Ghana is obsolete, thus affecting accuracy in planning and development.
The situation calls for an immediate base-line census on the sector to address current concerns as to position SSM as a wealth creating venture.
The rampant influx of mechanization (heavy-duty equipment) in the SSM sector is devastating with a telling effect on the environment. Practically many miners who are categorized as small scale miners, especially those working on hard-rock mining, should in fact be treated as medium scale miners because of their nature of mining which is at variance with that of SSM but also not up to the level of the large scale mines.
Therefore, there is need to re-classify this category of miners in terms of policies and regulations to make clear the distinction between artisanal and small-scale mining on the one hand, and medium-scale mining on the other with its antecedent Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and tax obligations.
Nii Adjety then commented on recent research conducted by ASMAN on the role of the District Mining Centers in monitoring and coordinating the SSM sector at the grassroots. He continued that the study exposed the limited number of staff with respect to land-area coverage at the various District Mining Centers, which also rendered an abysmal presence as to their impact. Thus, the sector requires the Government to resource the mineral regulator to work effectively.
The sparse distribution of the small mines also makes supervision very difficult for the limited officials, coupled with the non-existence of the District Mining Committee, made worse with the ‘galamseyers’ (illegal miners) having a field day with impunity.
The setting up of the District Mining Committees, which is a requirement under the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703, Section 92) would help improve the management of the SSM sector at the local district level, the quest on the matter of who will fund the District Mining Committees remains unclear
In conclusion, ASMAN is calling for an all-inclusive concerted effort with the Regulatory Bodies, Chieftaincy, Civil Society, Law Enforcement and the Industry Players through ‘Stakeholder Analysis’ to address the development of small scale mining (SSM) in Ghana.
Signed: (August, 2014)
Nii Adjety-Kofi Mensah
Executive Director – ASMAN
P.O. Box CT 2121, Cantonments, Accra
Avenue D, Hse. No. 119, North Legon, Accra
Tel: 233 (0) 208161636 / 248981538
Email: [email protected]
