Editorial: Yes, Restrict Importation Of Changfan Engines

The Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners is calling for restrictions on the importation of Changfan engines as part of measures to combat illegal mining, which is also known as galamsey.

We read the story published by myjoyonline, and we agree with the advocacy. It is this engine that is aiding the illegal miners to destroy our water bodies.

This engine has become synonymous with galamsey activities, where unlicensed miners use them to dredge our rivers for gold, polluting our water sources with dangerous chemicals, heavy metals like mercury and mining waste.

The result of the use of the changfan is the increasing level of turbidity, threatening not only aquatic life but also the availability of clean drinking water for communities reliant on these rivers. The pollution of our water bodies is a threat to public health.

The situation has become dire and experts have cautioned that if the pollution is not stopped immediately, very soon we may have to import water into Ghana – what a disgrace that would be.

With the Ghana Water Company issuing warnings about potential water shortages due to the severe contamination of our rivers like Pra, Densu, Ankobra, Birim and others, immediate action is now critical.

It is for this reason that The Chronicle is adding its voice to the call for a restriction on the importation of the main equipment used in the destruction of our water bodies for gold.

The inability of the government to regulate the importation and usage of these engines, thus far, has allowed the widespread use of Changfan in illegal mining, leading to devastating environmental consequences.

The call for the restriction, in our view, aligns with the urgent need to combat galamsey, which the government has partnered with the small-scale miners to deal with, by deploying the Navy to patrol the various rivers to stop any mining in and around the water bodies.

We believe that the argument that restricting the importation of Changfan engines will limit their availability for illegal miners holds merit. We have noted recent burning of Changfans seen on water bodies. But we think that if they are burnt, these illegal miners will manufacture new ones, since they can easily get the engine to purchase.

The current situation, in which a single importer can bring thousands of these engines into the country unchecked, fuels such illegal activities. An example is the importation of excavators. No sector minister will openly give approval for the importation of an excavator into the country to be used for galamsey. However, some of the equipment that should be imported for construction purposes end up at galamsey sites and are destroying our forest reserves.

This may be because there are no regulations to track the usage after they are imported. We do not think there are trackers installed on these excavators before they move from the port, so that their activities could be checked.

If there are trackers fixed on them, why is it that some are being used in forest reserves and nothing is being done? Granted that the trackers if even installed, are tampered with by the operators, there should be a monitoring team that can reach out to the owner of that excavator and sanction them for that action.

We think that implementing tighter controls on the importation of the Changfan engines and limiting the number of licensed distributors in each district will help authorities manage their usage more effectively, curtailing their deployment in illegal operations.

While at it, each district should have a taskforce to ensure that local artisans in their districts do not manufacture the Changfans and offenders must be punished. The restriction of the importation should go hand-in-hand with the deployment of security forces to rid the rivers of illegal operators who continue to wreck havoc.

Without a strong and consistent presence of law enforcement agencies and an unwavering commitment from the government, even a total ban of Changfan engines may simply lead to the continued operation of illegal miners through other illicit channels.

It is important to acknowledge that the engine used to manufacture the Changfan itself has legitimate uses beyond illegal mining, including in agriculture and certain industries.

As such, we are not saying the proposal to restrict their importation should result in an outright ban, but rather a well-thought-out measure to ensure that it is not purchased for the manufacture of Changfans, which are used to destroy our water bodies.

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