NAIMOS to receive GH¢200m in 2027 budget – Paa Kwesi Schandorf

The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) is expected to receive GH¢200 million in the 2027 Budget to strengthen its operational capacity and support efforts to combat illegal mining.

The Media Relations Officer at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Paa Kwesi Schandorf, said President John Dramani Mahama had assured that the amount would be committed to the secretariat to ensure it was adequately resourced to confront illegal mining activities.

Speaking to journalists, he said the government had developed an elaborate plan to provide the secretariat with the resources needed to implement its operational strategy effectively.

Mr Schandorf expressed confidence that the proposed allocation would be sufficient to support NAIMOS' operations, based on the requirements outlined in its operational strategy.

“There is a very elaborate plan to ensure that NAIMOS is adequately resourced. President Mahama has assured that GH¢200 million is going to be committed to NAIMOS in the 2027 budget. Based on the operational strategy, it will be more than adequate to ensure that it is well-resourced to confront some of these issues when they come,” he said.

The proposed funding is expected to strengthen the secretariat's ability to respond to illegal mining activities and sustain its operations as the government intensifies efforts to tackle the menace.

NAIMOS is a key component of the government's efforts to combat illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, through coordinated enforcement operations and interventions.