CSIR, others must play a leading role in finding a solution to 'galamsey' – Osafo Maafo

General News of Sunday, May 19th, 2019

Source: citinewsroom.com

2019-05-19

The government instructed the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to take the lead in the country's efforts to tackle the problem of illegal mining known as "galamsey".

Prime Minister, Mr. Yaw Osafo Maafo, who launched the appeal, explained that the council could come up with cost-effective methods of recovering land destroyed as a result of illegal mining.

He added that the intervention of the Council and other scientific and technological institutions would help the government to win the battle against the threat that weighs heavily on the communities of the country.

It is estimated that it will cost the nation some 225,000 ¢ to recover every hectare of land destroyed by illegal mining activities or "galamsey" activities throughout the country.

Speaking at the 60th Anniversary Celebration of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Accra, Yaw Osafo Maafo said the scientists should show the way forward to find lasting solutions to the "Galamsey" threat ".

"Research will be of great help to us. It offers new opportunities for Ghana to reorient its investments in these communities to create better sustainable opportunities for our burgeoning young people to have the best combination of restoration measures so that destroyed communities regain their vitality and become new poles of growth. for our national development agenda. "

"We will rely on the CSIR and other scientific and technological institutions to lead the search for a permanent solution to this self-inflicted threat that jeopardizes our human dignity and undermines our existence in this country," he said. he declared.

The minister also pointed out that, while such a process requires a lot of capital and can affect government budgets, he said it is important for the country to pursue it and do it well.

"Reclaiming the land costs money. While these estimates are costly and have a devastating effect on our annual fiscal position, we must do so and do it properly. "