Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah, has alleged that all excavators imported into Ghana under the Akufo-Addo administration were brought in illegally without authorization from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement on illegal mining convened by President John Dramani Mahama in Accra on Friday, October 3, Mr. Kofi-Buah said the unregulated influx of excavators worsened the surge in illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
“One area that was completely missed throughout all this process was the import of excavators. You’d be surprised to know this, that for a whole eight years, no excavator that was imported in Ghana went through registration with the DVLA. So it was free for all, every excavator was coming,” he revealed.
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He further disclosed that President Mahama had directed his ministry to prioritize excavator regulation upon assumption of office.
“Within one month, we had seized 1,200 excavators, and there was no space at the Tema Port. So we had to have a meeting to decide between the Minister of Transport, Finance, and my ministry, what we can do to decongest. We were lucky to get the military to give us a place, and that is where most of those excavators were lifted,” Mr. Kofi-Buah recounted.
The Minister said the government remains committed to tackling galamsey head-on, noting that regulating heavy equipment imports is key to stopping illegal operators.
Galamsey, over the years has been destroying Ghana’s agriculture which is the second pillar of its economy.
Farmlands once fertile with cocoa, rice, maize and vegetables are being destroyed with water bodies being poisonous to drink.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
