The CEO of the Minerals Commission Martin Ayisi has stated that as he sat with the Assurance Committee in answering their questions his officers were still issuing mining licenses.
Appearing before the Assurance Committee to answer questions from the Committee of Parliament on Monday, October 7, he revealed to the committee that he has not received any instructions from the President to stop issuing mining licenses.
The CEO of the Minerals Commission said, “I have not received any instructions from government or minister to say can you hold on, so respectively as I sit here, and as we speak my officers are online processing applications for small-scale that have been received over the period, maybe today, last week, last year. Sometimes when applications come in we have to check to see whether or not it meets all the criteria”.
According to him, the continuance issuance of licenses will reduce illegal mining
He revealed that when his minister took office, he informed him that the delay in issuing licenses was galamsey so they should cut the delays.
“We went online, so what hither to will take a year now even a week or two they are upload we do the inspections, when you don’t give them the license what they will do is to go do it illegally”. Martin Ayisi boldly claimed.
Meanwhile, the CEO explained that small-scale mining is open to only Ghanaians hence any foreigner engaging in small-scale mining amounts to illegality.
Watch the video below:
“I have not received any instructions from government or minister to hold on. My officers are online processing applications for small scale mining”.
Martin Ayisi, Minerals Commission CEO made this revelation at Assurance Committee sitting in Parliament#GhanaTonight #3NewsGH pic.twitter.com/7Vw1VIXuym
— #3NewsGH (@3NewsGH) October 8, 2024
