The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Ghana has announced a ban on the importation, fabrication, and use of chanfan machines without an official permit.
“The measure is part of efforts to curb the growing menace of illegal small-scale mining, commonly known as galamsey,” which has been causing extensive damage to the country’s environment, especially its water bodies and forest reserves,” the agency said in a statement released on Thursday.
According to the EPA, chanfan machines have been identified as one of the major tools used by illegal miners in alluvial gold mining operations, contributing significantly to environmental degradation.
Due to serious environmental harm, the agency also mandated the immediate closure of workshops that produced or sold them.
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They added that such equipment could only be imported or operated under close supervision by licensed operators who had proper environmental permits. Anyone or any group discovered to be in violation of this instruction will be prosecuted, have their equipment seized, and may be imprisoned as required by law.
In order to comply with the new mandate and assist the government’s continued efforts to promote environmentally friendly mining practices and sustainable mining nationwide, the EPA urged the public, in particular dealers and fabricators, to do so.
