The Member of Parliament for Atiwa East, Abena Osei Asare, has voiced her disappointment with the government’s efforts to combat illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
During a debate on the 2026 Budget Statement in Parliament, she underscored that the devastation caused by galamsey extends beyond economic concerns and poses a threat to the country’s survival.
“The devastation caused by illegal mining has grown beyond economics; it threatens survival,” she stated.
Mrs. Osei Asare questioned the allocation of funds to the Ministry of Lands and Forestry. She pointed out that while the ministry has been allocated GHS2.1 billion, only GHS150 million is designated for combating galamsey.
“How can we survive when the agency fighting galamsey receives just 150 million cedis out of the 2.1 billion cedis budget allocated to the ministry?”she remarked.
Linking the fight against galamsey to joblessness, she noted that the youth had been promised employment opportunities, but the budget’s provisions for job creation are lacking.
“The galamsey issue also relates to jobs. We hoped that the government would allocate funds to provide alternatives for these young people,” she emphasized.
She added, “The theme of the budget is growth, jobs, and economic transformation, but the numbers don’t reflect that reality.”
Mrs. Osei Asare admonished the government to enhance its efforts to tackle galamsey and generate employment for the youth, highlighting the vital importance of this issue for the country’s survival.
