There Are 3 Forms Of Galamsey That Can Never Be Tolerated – Sammy Gyamfi Clarifies Cut Video On ASM Formalization
Chief Executive Officer of GoldBod, Lawyer Sammy Gyamfi, has clarified his position on illegal small-scale mining, saying there are three forms of unlicensed mining that are irredeemably wrong and can neither be tolerated nor reformed.
According to him, the three are:
– Mining that impacts water bodies
– Mining in forest reserves
– Mining in obscene places in communities such as road sides, school lands, bedrooms etc. that pose dangers to society and public health.
Lawyer Gyamfi’s clarification follows a small portion of a video of him that has been cut and circulated on social media, which he says mischievously leaves out important details of his explanation.
In a statement, he explained that once artisanal and small-scale miners (ASMs) are NOT mining in a forest reserve, a water body or an obscene place that negatively impacts the environment, that mineralized area, even if unlicensed, meets the eligibility requirement for FORMALIZATION and can be declared as fit for cooperative mining under government’s “Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP).”
“I maintain that formalizing such unlicensed ASMs is a better approach than chasing them with soldiers,” he said.
He said rCOMSDEP is an ASM formalization initiative aimed at transforming such unlicensed ASMs into licensed and responsible ASMs to promote sustainability.
He stressed that government is willing to support the formalization of such ASMs to ensure they have appropriate legal documentation, certifications, permits and training for sustainable small-scale mining.
“ASM formalization and traceability is the new paradigm shift of Ghana’s quest towards sustainability in the ASM sector,” he noted.
Quoting his keynote address at the just-ended Mining in Motion summit on “ASM Formalization; the new paradigm”, he said:
“Regulation must be firm, but also practical, inclusive and commercially sound. Reform will endure only when compliance becomes a pathway to opportunity rather than hardships. Mining regulations must therefore do more than police miners; it must formalize, build capacities and create opportunities for young Africans in the mining and trading ecosystem.”
“We at the GoldBod hold the view, that properly organized small-scale mining offers one of the clearest pathways from mineral ownership in law to indigenous ownership in practice. Supported by modern technology and sound engineering, the sector can optimize recovery rates, reduce waste, improve safety, preserve the environment and create productive opportunities for young Africans.”
He announced that GoldBod will next year roll out an ASM Formalization and Financing Support Program (FFSP), in close collaboration with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the University of Mines and Technology and Rand Refinery, with the aim of sustainably ramping up gold production, mineral revenue and job creation, while reducing operational costs and environmental risks.
