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Small scale miners welcome new mining law

The Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASSM) has welcomed the amended mining law, but with some reservations that it says must have been addressed before the president would assent to the bill.

The amended Minerals and Mining Act, 2015 (Act 900) and the Minerals Commission Act, 1993 (Act 450) will see persons culpable for illegal mining in Ghana, convicted to a minimum of 15 years and maximum of 25 years behind bars.

Aside the new minimum sentences, convictions for illegal mining may also attract minimum fines of 150,000 penalty units.

It is also criminal to aid and abet illegal mining activities as well as the use of other equipment for mining in water bodies.

President Nana Akufo Addo told the Council of State at a meeting that, “we have also increased the punishment for foreigners who intervene illegally in this industry”, adding that, “we have had to take away some of the discretion of the judges largely because with the greatest of respect, they are not cooperating on these matters”.

But the GNASSM is of the view that, some interventions that were introduced by the government following the 22-month clamp down on illegal mining must have been followed through to the latter before the new law was passed.

Director of Research and Monitoring for GNASSM, Rev. Mike Gizzo who spoke on Kumasi-based Angel FM monitored by MyNewsGh.com on the development argued that, “hungry young people cannot be incarcerated for 15 years in their quest for a livelihood, when the government’s own Alternative Livelihood Programme and Community Mining Policy have not been stretched out to include all persons who were involved in galamsey before the ban”.

He advocated for the suspension of the new law until such a time that the two interventions have been fully implemented, so that “recalcitrant persons would be made to face the law”, whose effect he described as “akin to murder”.

Source:MyNewsGh.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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