Alan Kyerematen, the Afrafranto Alliance presidential candidate, has released a thorough 10-point plan to end illegal mining in Ghana, a practice known locally as galamsey.
This was said during a historic news conference at the Ghana International Press Center alongside senior movement partners and his running mate, Kwame Owusu Danso (KOD).
He unveiled this bold plan on Sunday, September 29, 2024, signaling a change in strategy for addressing one of the nation’s most urgent environmental and socioeconomic issues.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Kyerematen acknowledged the destruction that Galamsey had brought about throughout Ghana and called it a “existential threat” to the country.
He painted a bleak picture of the widespread degradation of water bodies, forest reserves, and farmlands, calling it the product of decades of poor governance and policy failure by both the NPP and NDC governments.
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Alan Kyerematen’s concept revolves around a one-year total prohibition on all forms of small-scale and community mining, including those that are legal and illicit.
He clarified that this moratorium will offer the required break to evaluate and reset the nation’s mining policies.
Along with the prohibition, all mining equipment would be demobilized and inventoried by the 48th Engineer Regiment of the military.
A vigorous effort of restoration is also called for in Alan Kyerematen’s strategy. Ghana’s deteriorated farmlands and river bodies will be restored during the one-year moratorium.
This enormous environmental cleanup project will be supervised by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Water Resources Commission, and other pertinent organizations.
In order to repair damaged ecosystems, the forestry industry will spearhead a plantation development program. This will guarantee that the land is completely recovered prior to the resumption of mining operations.
Another dramatic move in Mr Kyerematen’s proposal is the termination of all small-scale mining licenses issued in the past 15 years.
In his opinion, a thorough assessment of these licenses is required to find instances of corruption, unauthorized issue, and disregard for mining legislation.
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A move to ethical mining methods is part of Mr. Kyerematen’s vision for Ghanaian mining in the future.
The Youth in Responsible Mining Initiative, which he proposes, will turn young people who were formerly involved in Galamsey into law-abiding, ecologically concerned miners.
The government will provide these youth-owned businesses with concessions, mining equipment, seed money, managerial assistance, and technical support so they may run profitable, sustainable mining operations on a work-and-pay basis.
In mining villages, the Afrafranto leader also suggested creating Citizens Mining Protection Rights Groups.
By acting as watchdogs, local communities might actively monitor adherence to environmental legislation and standards, ensuring that all mining operations are carried out appropriately.
Mr. Kyerematen’s proposed law, which would impose life imprisonment for anybody found guilty of mining in river bodies or forest reserves, is one of the most harsh components of the 10-point proposal.
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Insisting that only strict measures would prevent further unlawful mining until a clear legislative road for responsible legal mining has been constructed, he emphasized that the stakes are too high to allow for indulgence in such cases.
It was emphasized by Alan Kyerematen that this short-term plan is but a portion of a larger vision included in his Great Transformational Plan (GTP).
In the medium to long run, his administration would improve local content in mining operations, streamline regulatory agencies, and conduct a thorough review of all laws pertaining to natural resource management.
His ultimate objective is to establish Ghana as the center of West African resource processing.
Alan Kyerematen believes Ghana can overcome the Galamsey catastrophe and restore its natural environment with these broad reforms.
Alan Kyerematen concluded by urging all Ghanaians to support his vision and promising that his government will stop at nothing to completely eradicate Galamsey.
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