General News of Friday, 14 December 2018Source: www.ghanaweb.comSmall scale ban lift: Only validated miners are to resume operations – Prof. Boatengplay videoGalamsey remains illegal although ban on small scale mining have been lifted for licensed firmsAfter suspending the operations of small scale miners for about two years in a bid to protect the country’s water bodies and lands, government has lifted the ban on small scale mining effective Monday, December 17. The action follows the surge in illegal mining operations otherwise known as Galamsey. Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Prof. Frimpong Boateng addressing stakeholders and the media at the Launch of Government’s new policy framework on regularizing/reforming mining activities in Ghana explained that the time was ideal for the lifting because the Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) had devised means to regulate small scale mining across the country. He noted that so far about 900 of the vetted and licensed miners have been cleared to go back to their concessions on Monday, having vetted some 1,350 licensed small scale miners. Procured equipment for operations especially excavators and bulldozers are to be licensed by Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and also electronically tagged by approved agencies in order to aid tracking.

Source: GhanaWeb December 14, 2018 16:41 UTC