The Ghanaian government is seeking $200m to ensure sustainable mining

According to the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu Bio, the cost of reclaiming lands and other activities are expensive.

He said the Lands and Natural Ministry will need 200 million dollars to achieve that aim.

“Reclamation of land is very expensive, aside from that there is the need not train only those you see around here, but to train the thousands of Ghanaians already involved in mining and all that is expensive.”

“It is also to help have a regime where we can enhance the capacity of the sector agencies like the Minerals Commission and the Forestry Commission,” he added.

Meanwhile, the World Bank and the Australian government have already committed $30 million and $500,000 respectively for the implementation of the project

The President launched the Multi- Sectorial Mining Integration Project in the wake of the increasing illegal mining popularly called galamsey which destroyed several acres of land across the country.

According to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the project contains strategies that will help to reclaim lands destroyed through illegal mining activities.

It also entails the provision of technical training of artisans and small scale miners and how technology can be incorporated into small scale mining to ensure sustainable and environmentally friendly mining activities.

Implementation of the project will be done within a five year period.