Joe Jackson, the CEO of Dalex Finance, has suggested that the government set aside money to combat illicit small-scale mining (Galamsey) operations.
He asserts that the government can only demonstrate its clear commitment to putting an end to the threat by allocating a specific budget.
The 2025 fiscal policy plan was authorized by the Government of Ghana prior to its formal presentation to Parliament on March 11.
The government’s commitment to economic stabilization and sustainable growth is reaffirmed by this decision, which was adopted at a special Cabinet meeting on Thursday.
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Minister of Government Communications, reassured Ghanaians in a news conference following the meeting that the government is still dedicated to keeping its social and economic commitments.
He affirmed that the administration’s 120-day commitments, which include the elimination of the COVID charge and betting tax, will be reflected in the fiscal policy.
Along with providing hope and strategic goals for the country’s growth, the budget also described the financial situation that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government inherited.
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Mr. Joe Jackson responded to this on X by saying:
“A 2025 budget allocation to the anti-galamsey fight will be the most unambiguous indication of the government’s commitment to resolve the galamsey mess. Over to you Hon Cassiel Forson.”
Meanwhile, highly armed illegal small-scale miners are seriously attacking 44 of Ghana’s forest reserves, according to Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.
He claims that because the forest guards and the Foretsay Commission’s fast response squad lack the advanced weapons that the gallamasyers do, they are unable to stop these illegal miners.
The Minister stated a few weeks ago:
“Ghana’s forests continue to be under serious threats of deforestation and forest degradation due to factors known to all of us. Ghana is currently faced with an unprecedented threat to our forest resources and water bodies due largely to illegal small-scale mining activities. This situation has assumed crisis proportion of dire national security and public health consequences that require immediate attention.”
“Mr Speaker, it will interest you to know that out of the 288 forest reserves, a whopping 44 of these forest reserves are under serious attack by illegal miners, they are heavily armed with sophisticated weapons and very violent with a large number of excavators making it extremely difficult for a forest guard and rapid response to control them since they have no such sophisticated weapons to control them. Over 9 out of the 44 forest reserves have been completely taken over by these illegal mining thugs with impunity. The Forestry Commission no longer has access to these forest reserves. ”
The Minister for Environment, Science, and Technology, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, has also expressed the government’s commitment to win the fight against illegal small-scale mining.
“There’s no denying the fact that politicians are engaged in galamsey… It’s shocking to note that as of 2022, the state had taken a decision to withdraw security forces who were preventing people from engaging in galamsey in all galamsey areas.
“No [rethoric], we want to do less talking and much work. I can tell you what we’re doing is profound. Some of the things I can’t put out there. I had some engagement today, [Wednesday, February 19] with some organisations and institutions to see how we can stop galamsey and at the same time restore the water bodies,” he told Accra-based Citi FM
