Excavator ban not right way to fight galamsey – Inusah Fuseini
A former Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Ahaji Inusah Fuseini believes that government’s impending outright ban on the importation of excavators is not the best way to tackle the challenge of illegal mining.
He is instead advocating the use of trackers to monitor the operations of excavators which he said are critical industrial machines.
His comments follow government’s announcement of a ban on the importation of excavators effective May 1st 2019, as part of the fight against illegal mining.
Inusah Fuseini, who is also the Member of Parliament for Tamale Central said the ban is misguided because excavators are used in other productive areas apart from mining.
“Just put a tracking device on the excavator and so when it is registered, you will track it. Any time it is moving, you will be told where they are. Immediately you see that a lot of them are converging around Dunkwa for instance, it should trigger something, like a probe as to what those excavators are doing in Dunkwa,” he said.
Excavators are one of the main equipment used by illegal miners in their operation which leaves devastating effects on Ghana’s land and water resources.
The Minister for Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah in the government statement said the ban, although temporary, is part of measures it is putting in place to sanitize the small-scale mining industry and rid it of illegal miners.
License your excavators, bulldozers or face sanctions – Gov’t
The Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) in March 2019 directed owners of earth moving machines to get their equipment licensed by March 31, or risk prosecution.
Individuals who rent such equipment were also supposed to comply with the directive.
In a statement, the Committee said the directive had become necessary to enable it track all such machinery in a bid to formalize the mining sector.
“As part of efforts to sanitize and regularize operations in the country, the Inter-ministerial Committee Illegal Mining (IMCIM) is tracking all earth moving equipment (excavators, bulldozers etc.) for licensing and registration with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Authority mandated by law to license and registers all motorized vehicles.”
“In furtherance of its mandate, the Ministry of Transport, through its Agency the DVLA in collaboration with the IMCIM and with the active support of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, wishes to bring to the prompt attention of owners of earth moving equipment (excavators, bulldozers etc), as well as those who hire these equipment to as soon as possible, and not later than 31st March, 2019, license and register them with the DVLA, if they have not done so already, the statement added.
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Source: citinewsroom