Bawumia Vows to End Excavator Burning in Galamsey Fight, Promises Support for Small-Scale Miners

The flagbearer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has stated that seized excavators will no longer be burnt under his regime.
However, the Vice President lauded the NPP administration’s fight against illegal mining, also known as galamsey.
Speaking to teeming NPP supporters at a health walk in Kwahu in the Eastern region, Dr. Bawumia said the NPP has performed creditably in the galamsey fight over the last seven years.

Dr. Bawumia said he will roll out a new regime to tackle the menace when elected into office. According to him, excavators for illegal mining, in the event they are seized, will no longer be burnt.

“We are going to help small-scale miners we will introduce a mineral development bank to get money for them.
There is a new regime for small-scale miners, we will not burn your seized excavators,” the leader of the NPP told the charged crowds.

He further indicated that the Akufo-Addo-led NPP government has outperformed the erstwhile Mahama administration in all sectors of the economy.

Jobs, we have performed better, agricultural growth, we have performed better, Zongo development, we have performed better, roads, we have performed better, airports, we have performed better, interchanges, we have performed better,” he stated.

Dr. Bawumia took a swipe at the leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and downplayed Mr. Mahama’s alternative policies. He promised his flat tax rate regime for small-scale miners should he win the December 7 polls.

President Akufo-Addo put his presidency on the line to fight galamsey. In 2021, a galamsey task force comprising military and police personnel set some 25 excavators they impounded ablaze.