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President of policy think tank IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe has urged government to also address illegal mining as a property rights issue to stand a chance of winning the battle against it.

Mr. Cudjoe also indicated that the red tape and the cost involved in securing small scale mining licences contributed to the upscale in illegal mining.

“This is clearly also a property rights problem. Other countries have solved this when when it has to do with poaching of animals. They have involved the community,” he said on The Big Issue.

“The issue really is not about the illegality of the mining. It is the fact that the bureaucratic nature of securing proper licensing and the cost of getting into mining as well. That is how come they invite the Chinese to come over.”

‘Inequality in the agriculture space’

Mr. Cudjoe also asked government to consider the economic angles to combating illegal mining given that reports indicate that a number of those engaged in the practice favour it over farming.

He explained that, “it is also a combination of the inequality in the agriculture space. How to deal with this matter is an economic one and I am looking at large scale commercial farming that gives people opportunity and rights to be part of it.”

“The alley of gold can never deflect people’s attention if the property rights question is not properly resolved,” The IMANI President concluded.