By Elizabeth PUNSU, Kumasi
A group calling itself the Responsible Small Scale Miners Association (RSSMA) has publicly rejected calls for a blanket freeze on all forms of mining, stating that such demands would unfairly punish legal and responsible miners.
This comes in response to recent appeals from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and other groups urging government to halt mining activities as part of the fight against illegal mining.
President of the association Philip Bawah, at a press briefing in Kumasi, drew a clear line against TUC’s call for a freeze on all mining – pointing out that legally-compliant small-scale miners should not be lumped together with illegal operators.
“It is misguided to include legally responsible miners in this call. Close to six million livelihoods depend on the small-scale mining industry, and any freeze would devastate families and communities that rely on this sector,” Mr. Bawah urged.
He further criticised organised labour for what it described as a “blame-shifting exercise”, calling for a more targetted approach to dealing with illegal miners.
“We need to focus on where the illegality lies and hold the Minerals Commission accountable for ensuring compliance. These are the real issues we should be addressing,” Mr. Bawah added.
He however emphasised the association’s support for government’s efforts to combat illegal mining, particularly regarding the damage caused to water-bodies and forest reserves.
Mr. Bawah also praised the establishment of a five-member ministerial ad-hoc committee, tasked with evaluating government’s fight against illegal mining and reviewing the effectiveness of current measures.
“We are fully in support of government’s swift action. The destruction of our water-bodies and natural reserves is unacceptable,” a spokesperson for the Association declared. “We need to rid the country of these illegal activities.”
Mr. Bawah reiterated the association’s commitment to aiding government in its fight against illegal mining, but warned against any moves to target legal operators.
“We support drastic measures against the mining activities in water-bodies and unlicenced operations in forest reserves. We will however resist any attempt to include responsible and legal small-scale mining in the calls for a freeze. The focus should remain on dealing with the illegality, not punishing those who follow the rules.”
The Responsible Small Scale Miners Association called on the Minerals Commission to strengthen its oversight and supervision of the mining sector, stating that lax enforcement has contributed to the current environmental crisis.
