The deputy minister of lands and natural resources, Mr. George Mireku Duker has said small-scale miners who have an approved licensed can go back to work beginning Thursday, 22nd July 2021. He made this pronouncement in a dialogue with Small Scale miners held in Kumasi. “All small-scale miners can go back to work if only you have an approved license.” The minister in charge of mines made this claim in a dialogue with the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASSM) in Kumasi, Thursday, July 22, 2021. According to him, the government of Ghana has not banned small-scale mining as many thought however there is a ban on illegal mining. "There's no ban on small scale mining but there's a ban on irresponsible mining." The minister reiterated.