Stakeholders in Tarkwa Nsueam have pleaded with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to lift the ban on small scale mining.
According to them, commercial activities and businesses operating in the municipality are currently struggling to survive due to the ban.
The stakeholders made the call when Mrs Eunice Jacklin Buah Essumahene, the Western Regional representative of the Council of State interacted with them at the Tarkwa Nsueam Municipal Assembly, when she paid a working visit to the region to ascertain the challenges in the various constituencies which needs government’s urgent attention.
She was accompanied by Mr Francis Ndede Sikh, the Western Regional New Patriotic Party chairman, Mr Stephen Blay, director of finance and administration and Madam Leticia Okyere Abeyie, Secretary, both at the Council of State secretariat.
The stakeholders comprise of representatives from the small scale mining industry, transport services, assembly members, heads of departments, market women and the general public.
Mr Samuel Kofi Sackey, chairman of the taxi drivers union in the municipality, lamented that mining was virtually the only source of livelihood for residents of Tarkwa and its environs.
He said since the government placed the ban on small scale mining in March 2017, theft and other social vices have increased, stressing that the transport business was at the verged of collapsing.
Mr Stephen Asare, a member of the small scale mining association added that the government’s ban on mining has brought serious economic crisis to Tarkwa and the mining towns.
He said miners cannot even get money to pay for the loans they sourced from banks.
Mr Asare emphasized that, “Our activities do not destroy farm lands and water bodies because we mine in old pits”.
He therefore appealed to the government to help bring life into mining towns by lifting the ban as the youth are jobless.
Madam Beatrice Dodoo, the market queen at Tarkwa central market said due to the ban, sales has gone down drastically.
She also requested that the President should regularised small scale mining industry to enable them cater for their families.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Gilbert Kennedy Asmah, expressed concern about the poor roads in Tarkwa township and the Tarkwa-Takoradi Highway.
In response, Mrs Eunice Jacklin Buah Essumahene asked the stakeholders to be patient as the NPP administration was a listening government.
She indicated that, President Akufo-Addo came to develop the country and not to collapse businesses as it’s being perceived.
Mrs. Essumahene promised to present all their grievances to the President.
Source: GNA
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