Formalising galamsey better approach than chasing them with soldiers – Sammy Gyamfi 

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Sammy Gyamfi

Sammy Gyamfi, the Chief Executive Officer of GoldBod, has said formalising such unlicensed artisanal and small-scale miners (ASMs) ‘galamseyers’ is a better approach to fighting illegal mining than chasing them with soldiers.

According to Sammy Gyamfi, the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) is an ASM formalisation initiative aimed at transforming such unlicensed ASMs into licensed and responsible ASMs to promote sustainability in the sector.

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He argued that the Goldbod holds the view that properly organised small-scale mining offers one of the clearest pathways from mineral ownership in law to indigenous ownership in practice.

In a statement on his social media page on X, Sammy Gyamfi wrote, “1. There are three (3) forms of unlicensed artisanal and small-scale mining operations that are irredeemably wrong and can neither be tolerated nor reformed.

* Mining that impacts water bodies

* Mining in forest reserves

* Mining in obscene places in communities such as road sides, school lands, bedrooms etc. that pose dangers to society and public health

2. Once artisanal and small-scale miners (ASMs) are not mining in a forest reserve, a water body or an obscene place that negatively impacts the environment, that mineralised area, even if unlicensed, meets the eligibility requirement of FORMALIZATION and can be declared as fit for cooperative mining under the government’s “Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP). I maintain that formalising such unlicensed ASMs is a better approach than chasing them with soldiers. The rCOMSDEP is an ASM formalisation initiative aimed at transforming such unlicensed ASMs into licensed and responsible ASMs to promote sustainability in the sector.

3. The small portion of the video that has been mischievously cut and is being circulated leaves out important details of my explanation of what government is willing to do to support the formalisation of such unlicensed ASMs to ensure that they have the appropriate legal documentation, certifications, permits and training for sustainable small-scale mining.

4. ASM formalisation and traceability is the new paradigm shift of Ghana’s quest towards sustainability in the ASM sector. The provision of formalisation, training and financing support for ASMs whose activities do not negatively impact water bodies, forest reserves or obscene places in our communities to bring them into the formal and responsible mining economy, is a crucial imperative for the fight against irresponsible mining and our national quest to promote sustainability in the mining sector.

5. As I noted in my keynote address at the just-ended Mining in Motion summit on “ASM Formalisation; the new paradigm”;

“…….regulation must be firm, but also practical, inclusive and commercially sound. Reform will endure only when compliance becomes a pathway to opportunity rather than hardships. Mining regulations must therefore do more than police miners; they must formalise, build capacities and create opportunities for young Africans in the mining and trading ecosystem. I believe that with proper formalisation, financing support and training, Artisanal and Small-scale mining can support livelihoods, generate foreign exchange, strengthen reserves, grow indigenous enterprise and advance national development sustainably.”

“We at the GoldBod hold the view that properly organised small-scale mining offers one of the clearest pathways from mineral ownership in law to indigenous ownership in practice. Supported by modern technology and sound engineering, the sector can optimise recovery rates, reduce waste, improve safety, preserve the environment and create productive opportunities for young Africans.”

“This is why the GoldBod will next year roll out an ASM Formalisation and Financing Support Program (FFSP), in close collaboration with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the University of Mines and Technology and Rand Refinery, with the aim of sustainably ramping up gold production, mineral revenue and job creation, while reducing operational costs and environmental risks.”

Meanwhile, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority leader, has once again insisted that the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) is encouraging activities of illegal mining commonly known as galamsey.

The minority leader raised concerns about the structure of GoldBod, stressing that the current system does not sufficiently distinguish legally mined gold from gold linked to galamsey.

Afenyo-Markin queried the regulatory framework governing GoldBod and gold aggregators, raising an alarm that the absence of clear distinctions could create incentives for galamsey.

Speaking during an engagement with the Christian Council, Afenyo-Markin stated, “The way GoldBod has been structured, it is rather encouraging the illegal mining activities we have in our country. Because you see, currently GoldBod does not have a regulation that draws a distinction between regularly mined gold and galamsey gold.

So it is like whatever the aggregators bring, we will buy. But are there some regulations to guide aggregators? Now, everybody is mining. Galamsey has gotten out of hand,” he said.

“If we are not careful, Atewa forest will not be there for us again,” he cautioned.

“I once chaired the Ghana Water Limited Board. The report coming from Ghana Water is that not only is it becoming more expensive to treat the water, but the extent of contamination of our water bodies is such that some treatment plant cannot even function,” he said.

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