Political risk analyst and economist, Dr Theo Acheampong, has cautioned that Ghana’s fight against illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey, is being undermined by weak regulation and poor enforcement.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Dr. Acheampong revealed that an alarming 70% of small-scale mining activities in Ghana are unlicensed, while even some licensed operators continue to flout environmental and safety regulations.
He argued that the government’s reliance on militarised crackdowns, such as Operation Vanguard and Operation Halt, has only yielded temporary relief, without addressing the root causes of the crisis.
“Seventy percent of all small-scale mining activities are not licensed… and even amongst those licensed, we are not too sure of their practices,” he noted.
According to him, calls for the declaration of a state of emergency to deal with galamsey are misplaced, as this approach fails to tackle the systemic drivers fueling illegal mining.
Instead, Dr. Acheampong urged the government to pursue urgent structural reforms, including the repeal of L.I. 2462, which controversially allows the licensing of mining in forest reserves.
He emphasised that without robust regulation, better monitoring, and strong institutional accountability, Ghana risks permanent damage to its environment and natural resource base.
