The Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council is putting a coordinated strategy in place to tackle the menace of galamsey to protect river bodies in the region.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, announced this when the U.S.A. Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia E. Palmer, paid a courtesy call on him on Thursday.
The minister stressed that the fight against galamsey can only be won when it is targeted at activities that are undertaken at the upper stream of the various river bodies.
Mr Osei-Mensah emphasized that there was the need to prosecute and jail perpetrators instead of imposing fines on them.
The Regional Minister indicated that the rich cultural and traditional setup of the Ashanti Region where most lands belong to the stool gives the region a comparative advantage in matters of access to land for development.
“The central location of the region also makes it a vibrant commercial hub,” he added.
On her part, Virginia E. Palmer stated the Embassy was willing to support the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council in the fight against galamsey, adding that it was in line with a wider policy for the environment.
Richard Aniagyei & Ebenezer Bruce-Mills, ISD
