Michael Adu Gyamfi, the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners, has raised serious concerns about the overly stringent procedures that small-scale miners must undergo to obtain licenses.
According to him, these strict requirements are contributing significantly to the rise in illegal mining activities across the country.
Speaking on the Orange Sunrise on July 1, 2025, Mr. Gyamfi said, “I cannot sit here and say that all small-scale miners are doing things right. Within the small-scale mining sector, if we have at least 100 people operating in Ghana now, only about 10 could be classified as having legal documents to do the work. So, if we are being so stringent and insisting that those without documents cannot work, we will virtually collapse the entire sector,” he revealed.
Mr. Gyamfi also blamed politicization and corruption as major challenges hindering the fight against illegal mining.
Some Galamstop operators have switched to small scale mining.
He stated, “We need total commitment from our politicians. One thing I’ve realized is that politicians take undue advantage of the sector. Anytime the government makes decisions to regulate the sector, those tasked with enforcing these directives often end up being compromised.”
He further alleged that some former security personnel who were once part of anti-galamsey taskforces including, GalamStop and Operation Vanguard are now actively engaged in small-scale mining themselves.
“I am aware of some soldiers who were part of GalamStop and Operation Vanguard who are now doing small-scale mining,” he stressed.
Source-Esther Amankwah
