Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Mines has said the use of brute force in combating illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as ‘galamsey’ in the country is to blame for the government’s failure.
This, he said, is evident in the increase in galamsey in spite of the numerous arrests and seizures of excavators by Operation Vanguard.
Dr Toni Aubynn made the comment while speaking at Ekosii Sen National Dialogue Series held at Wassa Akropong in the Western Region Friday.
He noted that what the government must do is to ensure the small-scale miners conform to the environmental regulations during their work rather than using security to fight them.
“We cannot win the fight against galamsey so government must rather ensure they obey all regulations to safeguard the environment,” Dr Aubynn added.
Also, the Ghana Chamber of Mines CEO said the policies and laws of the country do not conform to realities on the ground which are making the country worse off though endowed with huge mineral deposits.
He said Ghana does not have a clear vision on drawing a balance between extractions of the mineral, managing the other important sectors of the economy, as well as maintaining the equilibrium of the environment.
Dr Aubynn called on the government to take pragmatic steps, including the use of technology to deal with the issue permanently.