Small-Scale Miners who have heaved a sigh of relief following the lift of the ban on illegal mining, popularly known as ‘galamsey’, are calling on the government to assist them to secure loans from the banks to start their business all over again.
According to the miners, a lot of them have gone bankrupt after their business was brought to a halt when a ban was imposed on their operations.
Speaking to host, Akwasi Nsiah, on Ghana Kasa on Kasapa FM last, Friday, the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the Small Scale Miners Association of Ghana, Ernest Owusu Ansah, indicated that though they are happy the government has finally lifted the ban on their operations, they are still confronted with unavailability of funds to commence their operations.
According to him, lots of their members had their properties seized by the various banks they do business with for failing to pay back their loans as a result of the ban that was imposed on their operations.
He said that if government fails to assist them to get loans from the banks, it might compel some of their members to go back to the Chinese for loans which will in turn end up making the Chinese get involved in small scale mining which is a exclusive reserve for Ghanaian citizens.
