The Chief Executive Officer (C.E.O) for the Minerals Commission, Martin Kwaku Ayisi has clarified that there’s no separate certification of community mining.
According to him, the scheme was created to phase out the sprawling spate of illegal mining that have been devastating lands and destroying water bodies.
However, it’s not different from the small-scale mining and as such both schemes operate with the same licenses.
So it’s just a description. We don’t have separate license for community mining and a separate one for small scale mining. It was introduced to encourage those in the community to engage in the activity lawfully.
He explained that before one engages in community mining, the minerals Commision would first have to approve the land, and before that is done, we set up a structure there for you, then the district assembly and chiefs will be informed about it, then finally the minister responsible for lands and natural resources will come over to launch it. Hence, without the launching of the minister, then you’re doing it unlawfully.
“We are also available to help secure a land, machines to support you once you’re ready to do it lawfully. Inspectors from the minerals commission will go and survey place first to know if it’s appropriate”, he stressed.