Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang, has reaffirmed government’s resolve to end illegal mining, aka galamsey.
Speaking to the Ghanaian community in Belgium as part of her official visit to Brussels for the 2025 Global Gateway Forum, the Vice President enumerated the stringent measures government is putting in place to totally ban illegal mining in forest reserves and in river bodies.
Discussions were centred on the illegal mining menace, food safety, youth discipline, labour export, and high export duty to European countries.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang highlighted government initiatives such as the Adwumawura Programme and the 24-Hour Economy Policy, designed to expand employment opportunities both locally and for Ghanaians in the diaspora.
She also urged parents to portray Ghana positively to their children abroad and encouraged young people to maintain discipline and plan for the future.
Addressing the illegal mining issue, the Vice President recalled how Ghana had mined for generations, but never witnessed such environmental degradation until recent years.
She said, “We’ve been mining gold forever. How come all of a sudden, all our waters are polluted?”
On government’s solution, she reiterated the measures government has been implementing and is yet to operationalise.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang revealed that government is “working towards banning mining in water bodies.”
The Vice President, therefore, called on the Ghanaian community to support the efforts by government in totally eradicating this deadly menace.
Also addressing the menace was the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, James Gyakye Quayson, who mentioned that government is reviewing some 2,167 licenses that were issued to individuals to mine in the last eight years.
“Between 1988 and 2016, 88 licenses were issued for mining, but between 2017 and 2024 alone, 2,167 licenses were issued,” he said.
He emphasised that some persons will be prosecuted for engaging in the illegal act.
Speaking on behalf of the Ghanaian community in Belgium, Chairman of the Council, Kwaku Boamah, expressed concerns about the high duty import charges at the country’s ports and the ban of certain food products from Ghana into the European market, as some of the issues they want addressed.
He reminded the Vice President that “the President promised during the campaign tour that the new NDC government would work on this.”
He then conveyed a message, “So please take this concern to the cabinet for us.”
On the ban on certain food products, Kwaku Boamah explained that “they are not allowed because they have too much pesticides and this is blocking a big market for our agricultural development.”
Responding, Professor Naana Jane assured the Ghanaian community, their concerns would be addressed.
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