Golden Star Blames Return of Illegal Mining Activities on Lifting of Ban

 

Managing Director of Golden Star Resources Wassa Mine, Shadrack Adjetey Sowah

Accra, Ghana, September 30, 2019//-Ghana’s one of the underground mines, Golden Star Resources Limited has blamed the recent resurfacing of illegal mining activities on its Wassa mine concession on the lifting of the government’s ban on small-scale mining in the country.

The Managing Director of Golden Star Resources Wassa Mine, Shadrack Adjetey Sowah revealed this when some members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Mines and Energy toured the mine.

Mr Sowah told the MPs: “When the military were at post, there were no illegal mining activities on the concession. But with the withdrawal of the military, the illegal miners have returned to cause havoc on our concession”.

On December 17, 2018, the two-year ban was lifted after an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining had successfully developed a comprehensive policy framework to regularise small-scale mining across the country.

He also raised issues with the illegal boundary demarcation under the pretext of the government’s Community Mining Programme (CMP) which had been launched this year.

The programme is aimed at formalizing mining in selected communities across the country, but Mr Sowah challenged the manner in which it was being implemented.

Instructively, Wassa is in south-western Ghana, approximately 40 km from the Prestea Gold Mine. Golden Star commenced production from the surface operation at Wassa in 2005 and commercial production was achieved at Wassa Underground on January 1, 2017. In early 2018 Wassa transitioned into an underground-focused operation.

Wassa Underground has exploration upside through extension drilling of B Shoot North, step out drilling on B Shoot South, step out drilling on the 242 Trend and the extension of the F Shoot. This work is expected to increase the mine life of Wassa Underground in the short, medium and long term.

By Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, African Eye Report

 

 

 

 

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