The National Concerned Association of Small-Scale Miners, Ghana (NCASMG) has strongly condemned the recent burning of excavators by the Forestry Commission, describing the practice as illegal, ineffective, and harmful to both livelihoods and the national economy.
The Association argues that the government's continued reliance on this controversial approach has done little to address the root causes of illegal mining (galamsey).
Instead, it has exacerbated economic hardship by destroying valuable mining equipment, resulting in job losses and further destabilizing the livelihoods of thousands of small-scale miners.
In a press release signed by its president, Michael Kwadwo Peprah, NCASMG expressed deep frustration with what it describes as a "lazy approach" to combating illegal mining. "While we acknowledge the urgent need to combat illegal mining, the burning of excavators is not a sustainable or effective solution.
