The Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners(GNASSM) has organized a workshop in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region to educate all small-scale miners on GoldBod's pricing policy and also highlight the importance of using GoldBod's receipt in all gold transactions.

It also sought to promote best practices in sustainable mining among miners in the Upper East and North East Region

In his welcome address, the Regional Chairman of GNASSM, Yaw Mort, noted that the Upper East and North East Region are the most responsible mining sites in existence.

According to him, some of the havoc miners in other areas are causing can never be seen in their sites as they have sternly warned members not to mine in inappropriate places.

"Our people do not enter into water bodies to mine. We don't also mine in the forest and our people are aware of that."

He noted that anyone who violates the rules will be squarely dealt with without mercy.



"We have taken it upon ourselves that look, anybody who goes into the forest or water bodies to mine and is caught, GNASSM will not come to get him out of his calamities. We will ensure you go and you go forever", he warned.

He stated that the government has given them the liberty to engage in responsible mining, and therefore made a passionate appeal to GNASSM heads to help them retrieve their lands that have been taken away by large scale miners including foreign nationals, for exploration.

The Chairman noted that the current administration has rolled out a policy called cooperative mining, admonishing all to embrace it with the seriousness it deserves, adding that a time will come where they cannot work without documentation.

Mort also raised the issue of the absence of aggregators in the region and how it is affecting buyers.

He indicated that people purchase gold with the little that they have, and there is no aggregate to sell to.

"The aggregate is far away in Accra and GoldBod expects that buyers in the Upper East Region should sell their gold to them. How will they get it to you? You haven't given me money and you want my gold", he said.

"Gold is expensive so what we expect GoldBod to do is to place an aggregate at least one or two, to support the buyers here". He added.

He also pointed out that the absence of aggregators makes it difficult to quantify their contribution in the industry since there is no data to track that.

He also condemned the regular tag on them, as people who smuggle gold without any evidence to that effect, describing it as unfair.

"But if you keep accusing us of smuggling whiles you have no evidence, that is unfair, so we ask that we confront this issue and ensure that this thing is solved to help all of us", he pleaded.

Another issue of concern the Chairman raised is interceptions by some security agents whenever they get their gold, adding that it is only the taskforce of GoldBod who may apprehend them if they do not have receipts to indicate where they sell their gold.

"When they get their gold and take off, the police stop them and search them when they see gold, but no police is supposed to take gold from you. You are a member of GNASSM ".

He therefore entreated them to always call the office of GNASSM whenever they are confronted by personnel from the security forces. He further entreated them to always have the GoldBod receipts with them so that in the event of the police coming their way, they would show them as prove of legal transaction.

He finally encouraged members not to entertain any fear, since their work is legal.

"In one of the areas, I went and told my people when you see the soldiers coming, tell them you have documents. You are not in the water bodies or forest. Don't come and harass us, we are finding our daily bread and that's all ". He echoed.