Former Executive Director, Center for Social Impact Studies (CeCIS), Mr. Richard Ellimah, has revealed that it is illegal for any foreigner engage in small- scale mining in Ghana, stating that Mineral and Mining Act of Ghana prohibits foreign intrusion into Ghana’s small scale mining sector.
In an exclusive interview with Happy Morning Show’s Kwadwo Sefah-Danquah on Tuesday 21st of January, 2024, the mining expert explained that the difference between small scale mining and large scale mining is the size of concession – the land size given to miners for their operations. Small scale mines have coparatively smaller concessions whiles large scale mines have larger concessions.
“In the minerals and mining act, there are a number of requirements like you having to be a Ghanaian above 18 years which the law is very specific about for you to go into small scale mining. It is only reserved for Ghanaians” Mr. Ellimah noted during his submissions on the Happy Morning Show.
According to him, there are currently a lot of illegalities in the Ghanaian small-scale mining sector because a lot of foreigners have invaded the sector.
“Small-scale mining is still reserved for Ghanaians and not foreigners so any foreigners who is seen practicing small-scale mining is doing so illegally. All the Chinese and Nigerians into small-scale mining are doing it illegally” Mr. Ellimah emphasized.
He also reveals that the reason the illegality has been sustained is because of the involvement of some Ghanaians, a phenomenon that he considers worrying. “So some Ghanaians go for the license and sell to the foreigners and that is the illegality of it because whether large or small-scale, you cannot just go mining on any land without a license signed by the minister of lands and natural resources” he worryingly expressed.
