Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, the Presidential Candidate of the Movement for Change, has vowed to impose life sentences on illegal miners should he win the 2024 general elections.
During an Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) encounter held in Accra on October 1, 2024, Kyerematen outlined his strategy to address the rampant illegal mining, locally known as *galamsey*, which has caused severe damage to Ghana’s environment.
He argued that the current 10-year prison sentences were insufficient deterrents, proposing tougher punitive measures, including life imprisonment for offenders, to curb the menace.
Kyerematen stressed the urgency of protecting the country’s water bodies, which have been polluted due to the activities of illegal miners.
“We must impose a complete ban for one year on small-scale and community mining, whether legal or illegal. Within that time, we can clean all our river bodies,” he stated.
He further mentioned that new legislation would be introduced to ban mining in river bodies and forest reserves, with violators facing life imprisonment.
According to him, stricter sanctions were essential, as the profits from *galamsey* make shorter sentences ineffective deterrents.
Additionally, Kyerematen promised to restore Ghana’s river bodies with state-of-the-art equipment if elected.
He also pledged to create youth mining companies equipped with modern machinery, funded through seed capital, to promote responsible and sustainable mining practices.
Kyerematen emphasized that his administration would be committed to protecting the environment and ensuring sustainable resource management, stating, “We have to be serious about how we deal with *galamsey*.”
