The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources says it is taking steps to streamline and regulate the operations of task forces involved in the fight against illegal mining (galamsey), following growing concerns from small-scale miners about persistent intimidation and extortion.
This follows complaints from the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASSM), which raised alarm over what it described as harassment by multiple teams allegedly operating under the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operation Secretariat.
According to GNASSM, the lack of coordination among these groups has led to confusion and abuse of power at mining sites.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, June 30, 2025, the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the Association, Michael Adu-Gyamfi, said overlapping operations by various state task forces have created chaos in the sector.
“I have five zones under my jurisdiction. Each zone is a full district, and on some days, you can have three or four different teams showing up at a site, all claiming to be there for inspections,” he said. “Some say they’re from the national level, others from the region or district. This unregulated situation has led to intimidation and extortion of our members.”
In response, the Director of Communications at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Mawusi Mawuenyaefia, acknowledged the concerns and announced plans to implement an identification system for all anti-galamsey operatives.
“As part of our efforts to clamp down on illegal mining, we are working closely with local communities and have engaged regional ministers. We will soon introduce an identification system to clearly distinguish legitimate taskforce members,” she said.
She stressed that operations are not carried out arbitrarily. “We don’t just get up and go into the field based on unverified reports. Every complaint is investigated thoroughly before any action is taken.”
Mawuenyaefia added that before any field operation, local authorities, including chiefs, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MCEs/DCEs), and regional ministers are informed to ensure transparency and coordination.
Galamsey: Multiple task forces fueling intimidation, extortion – Adu-Gyamfi