Falalo M. Touray, the Chief of Kombo South District of the West Coast Region (WCR) has stated that mining activities is one of the challenges affecting his district.
Chief Touray, who was speaking recently during the validation of the 'quarrying regulation', said: "Kombo South District faces more challenges than anywhere in the country as far as mining activities are concerned."
The validation was organised by the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines in partnership with the Geological Department and attended by different stakeholders and players involved in the mining activities in the country.
The 2024 quarrying regulations are aimed at regulating mining activities in the country.
Touray spoke at length on the significance of regulating mining activities in the country, saying: "Having quarrying regulation in the country is timely and in the right direction. Therefore, implementing the quarrying regulation is also key. We can't just prepare this important document and leave it like that without enforcing the regulations."
The coastal community of Gunjur, he added, is among the communities in Kombo South affected mostly by the mining activities, saying: "Two people lost their lives as a result of the mining activities in the quarries. Again, some of the mining companies are even mining at the women gardens," he claimed.
The Kombo South chief calls for concerted effort in arresting illegal mining in the area, claiming: "Mining companies that are involved in illegal mining do their activities late at night."
Nani Juwara, the Minister of Petroleum, Energy and Mines, said: "The raw materials from quarrying activities are a major resource for the construction of road infrastructure and buildings, while providing direct economic benefits to several lower level income earners who are operating at quarry sites in petty trade and other unskilled labour."
The management of quarrying, he said, "should therefore be closely integrated into the overall National Development Plan (NDP).
Minister Juwara added: "Today, the demand for materials resources like sand and gravel continues to rise exponentially. Their continuous availability is of utmost importance for our economic development."
"The government has taken a deliberate and conscious step in terms of shifting its policy focus from coastal sand mining to dredging as an alternative source to meet our increasing demand," he postulated.
The Minister of Petroleum and Energy further stated: "We must all jealously manage our natural resources for sustainability especially, resources from quarrying which are nonrenewable. There is considerable need for all of us as stakeholders to work together to sustainably manage and govern existing and future quarry activities in the country," he emphasised.
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Lamin Sanyang, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines, said: "Taking care of the environment is of paramount significance as quarrying activities are done on the environment. At our level, we always do consultation through environmental and social impact assessment in order to make sure we mitigate some of the risks associated with quarrying activities in the country."
His ministry, he went on, has already had a MoU with the Ministry of Finance with the objective of ensuring that some of the revenues generated in those mining activities go back to the community level through the Ministry of Local Government and Lands, adding: "These will also ensure that the community where the mining activities is happening, also benefits from the mining activities so that they can also embark on development at their respective communities."
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