A £3.9 million initiative to enhance Ghana's fight against illegal mining has been launched in Accra.
The initiative which is a joint collaboration between the governments of Ghana and United Kingdom is dubbed 'UK-Ghana Gold Mining Programme.'
To be implemented in the Ashanti, Savannah and Western Regions, the initiative seeks to eliminate illegalities associated with the small scale mining sector by increasing community resilience, promoting regulatory reform and supporting law enforcement.
Launching the programme, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor, commended the UK government for the support, saying it was a boost to government's interventions being rolled out to curb illegal mining.
He said initiative would complement others being implemented by government to fight illegal mining, including the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAELP), the Community Mining Schemes, and other law enforcement measures.
He assured the preparedness of the ministry to work effectively with the UK team to realise the objectives of the programme.
The minister noted that the small scale mining sector was a strategic sector in the economic development of the country, adding that the interventions being made by government were aimed at addressing illegal activities and promoting sustainable and eco-friendly small-scale mining sector.
"The relationship between Ghana and the UK has been long-standing. The Ghanaian government has taken the issue of illegal mining seriously because apart from the impact on our economy, its impact on the environment is dire. The government has taken some very bold steps like NAELP, Community Mining Scheme to ensure that we have community miners who adhere to be highest level of operational measures," he said.
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Mr Jinapor lauded the continuous collaboration between the two countries which had led to the execution of socio-economic policies and initiatives that have led to improvement in the lives of the citizenry.
The United Kingdom's Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, James Cleverly, noted that the crackdown on illegal mining was a bold step by government to protect Ghanaians and the environment from the negative impact of illegal mining.
He said the UK government was ready to support Ghana by committing resources and personnel to ensure the menace was curtailed.
The programme, he noted, would see the UK and Ghanaian government work together to increase community resilience, promote regulatory reform and support law enforcement.
"Experts and officials from the UK government will work with a Technical Team at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to ensure the workability and effectiveness of the program," Mr Cleverly.
