The presidential candidate of the Movement for Change, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, has reinforced his position on galamsey by proposing life imprisonment for offenders.
Speaking at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) event in Accra, Mr Kyerematen argued that the current 10-year prison sentence does not effectively deter galamsey and called for stricter measures, including life imprisonment.
Further, he also pledged to deploy advanced technology to restore polluted rivers, reinforcing his administration’s focus on environmental protection and a one-year ban on all small-scale and community mining, whether legal or illegal, to allow for the restoration of water bodies.
Moreover, Kyerematen promised to create youth mining companies, providing them with seed capital and equipment to promote responsible and sustainable mining practices.
Additionally, new laws would introduce severe penalties, including life imprisonment, for those violating the ban on mining in river bodies and forest reserves.
His bold proposal aims to curb the growing environmental damage caused by illegal mining and protect the country’s natural resources.
