THE government has been urged to revise the Minerals and Mining Act to deter the smuggling and use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) across Ghana.
Stakeholders say an effective amendment should impose stiffer penalties for the unauthorised use and trafficking of mercury, a substance increasingly blamed for environmental degradation.
The Executive Director of the Ako Foundation, Mr Kwame Ofori, explained in an interview with The Ghanaian Times in Accra that the current law does not provide for a government-led mercury disposal plan. Enforcement agencies also lack clear directives on how to safely eliminate mercury seized after smuggling.
He noted that the absence of a national mercury storage facility, poor waste management practices, and limited public awareness of mercury-free gold extraction techniques have worsened environmental damage and heightened health risks linked to ASGM.
Despite ongoing policy efforts and Ghana’s commitment to the Minamata Convention on Mercury, mercury use in artisanal mining remains widespread, undermining progress in reducing emissions.
Mr Ofori emphasized that revising Ghana’s National Action Plan (2022) and the Minamata Initial Assessment (2018) would strengthen enforcement and regulatory frameworks. He highlighted the lack of a dedicated mercury storage and disposal facility, leading to improper disposal of confiscated mercury and further environmental contamination. Mercury waste is often dumped into water bodies or resold illegally due to the absence of secure storage.
To address these issues, he proposed financial incentives to help miners transition to mercury-free processing methods, including government grants, low-interest loans for mercury-free equipment, and subsidies for operations that adopt safer practices.
He also called for the establishment of regional training centres in mining communities to educate miners on safe and efficient mercury-free techniques and urged expansion of public health monitoring programmes, noting that mercury poisoning remains a major threat in ASGM areas. Studies show miners and gold traders exposed to mercury suffer neurological damage, respiratory diseases, and kidney failure, while contaminated water sources have been linked to birth defects and developmental disorders.
Finally, Mr Ofori recommended that the law be re-crafted to strengthen cross-border enforcement, curbing illegal mercury trade from Burkina Faso, Mali, and China. He further called for stronger collaboration with ECOWAS and international partners to ensure effective regional enforcement of mercury bans.
BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA AKPALU
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