Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, former Minister of Communications, has attributed the thriving illegal mining (galamsey) industry to greed.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Burning Issues show, he criticized the issuance of licences in forest zones, stating that changes in the law years ago contributed to the problem.
“They don’t need to issue licences for mining in forest areas… There was a law that overturned this, and it became part of the issue. Now, we have about 2 million people involved in galamsey. It used to be just a few big companies and individuals, but with the introduction of community mining, the numbers have increased,” he said.
Meanwhile, Spio-Garbrah also pointed out the inequality in licence distribution, where foreigners are granted licences while locals struggle to obtain them.
“This creates greed, which is why more people are getting involved in galamsey,” he told host Akua Boakyewaa Yiadom.