Our Policy Is Designed to End Illegal Mining by Regularising Eligible Operators – Ghana Gold Board

The Ghana Gold Board has clarified that its policy on illegal mining is aimed at ending the practice by bringing eligible operators into a formal system where they can obtain the necessary licences, operate under regulatory supervision and be held accountable for their activities.

The Board explained that the approach is intended to move qualified miners away from informal operations and into a structured framework that requires them to comply with the country’s mining laws and environmental standards.

According to the Gold Board, the policy is not designed to encourage illegal mining but rather to establish a system through which eligible operators can be identified, regulated and monitored by the appropriate authorities.

Illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey in Ghana, remains a major environmental challenge, with its effects including the pollution of water bodies, destruction of vegetation and degradation of land used for agriculture and other economic activities.

The activities of unauthorised miners have raised concerns among communities, environmental organisations and government institutions, particularly because of the difficulties associated with protecting natural resources while addressing mining activities conducted outside the law.

The Gold Board’s position places emphasis on formalisation as one approach to addressing the problem, with the aim of ensuring that operators who qualify can work within an established regulatory structure rather than remain outside official oversight.

Under such a system, eligible miners would be required to satisfy the relevant licensing conditions and comply with applicable regulations governing their operations.

Formalisation can also provide authorities with a clearer understanding of who is operating within the sector, making it easier to monitor activities and identify operators who fail to meet their legal responsibilities.

Environmental accountability is another important element of the policy, as mining activities can cause serious damage when they are conducted without proper controls or regard for environmental protection requirements.

By bringing eligible operators under regulatory supervision, the approach seeks to create a framework through which their activities can be monitored and those who breach the rules can be held responsible.

However, formalisation does not automatically grant every informal miner the right to operate, as eligibility and licensing requirements must still be satisfied under the applicable laws.

Operators who do not qualify or who continue mining without the required authorisation remain subject to the relevant legal restrictions and enforcement measures.

The distinction between formalising eligible miners and permitting illegal mining is therefore central to the Gold Board’s explanation of its policy.

The initiative reflects an approach that combines regulatory oversight with efforts to address unauthorised mining, while maintaining the need for compliance with legal and environmental requirements.

The Ghana Gold Board maintains that its objective is to bring eligible operators into a system where their activities can be properly supervised, their environmental responsibilities enforced and illegal mining tackled through a more structured regulatory framework.

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