As part of efforts to help curb illegal mining known in Ghanaian local parlance as galamsey, the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASM) has called for the immediate regularization of all small miners in the country.

Addressing a press conference in Accra yesterday, the General Secretary of GNASM, Eric Coffie Rivers, explained that the regularization takes the form of registering small scale miners in the various Districts.

He went on to add that both the national and the District taskforces set-up must collaborate with the security agencies to bring sanity into the small scale mining sector.

According to Mr. Coffie Rivers, it is worrying that some foreign nationals indulge in the practice of illegal mining.

“Additionally, issues regarding Child Labour, peaceful coexistence between the Small Scale Miners and the Large Scale Mining companies, effective policies and regulations; are constantly being implemented to uplift the image of the sector and to ensure that it’s potential for providing sustainable development for the country,” the national president of GNASM expressed.

In the opinion of Mr. Rivers Coffie, when all these measures are effectively executed, it will ensure that meaningful contribution from small scale miners towards the growth and development of the economy.

He also used the opportunity and applauded the efforts of the sector Minister, Mr. Mike Hammah, for what he described as the minister’s “tremendous assistance to the Association.”

While acknowledging the contributions of small scale miners towards the growth of the Ghanaian economy, Mr. Coffie Rivers, nonetheless, called for support for members of his outfit.

“…We want to stress that in spite of all the problems that have bedeviled small scale mining sector, small scale mining has contributed tremendously to Gold production in Ghana,” indicated Mr. Coffie Rivers.**