A Mineral and Natural Resources Economist, Dr. Theo Acheampong, has revealed that 70% of small-scale miners in Ghana are operating without valid licences.
In an interview on October 12, he highlighted the grave implications of these unregulated operations, which significantly contribute to environmental degradation.
Dr. Acheampong noted that the absence of proper licensing is a major challenge in tackling the illegal mining (galamsey) crisis.
He expressed concern that illegal mining thrives due to weak enforcement of regulations and poor governance in the sector.
These operations not only harm the environment but also undermine efforts to promote sustainable mining practices.
He emphasized the urgent need for reforms in the small-scale mining industry.
Dr. Acheampong called on the government to enhance regulatory oversight and ensure that only licensed miners can operate.
He also stressed the importance of developing robust systems to monitor and track mining activities nationwide to combat the rise of illegal mining.
Furthermore, he urged stakeholders to collaborate in addressing the root causes of illegal mining, such as poverty and unemployment, which drive many individuals into these activities.
He recommended increasing public awareness of legal mining requirements and support for miners interested in regularising their operations.
“We have a collective failure as a people, and let me actually give some context to this. If you look at the data and some of the statistics, about 40% of Ghana’s total gold output comes from these small-scale miners. And when you look at these small-scale miners themselves, around about 70% so basically, 7 in 10 of them are not licensed, and even those that are licensed we don’t know whether they are doing things properly,” he said on Newsfile on Joy News.