Isaac Tandoh
The Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Isaac Tandoh, has called for the immediate implementation of a Ghana-China framework that would subject Chinese nationals involved in illegal mining(galamsey) in Ghana to sanctions in both countries.
He said the arrangement, agreed at the 2026 China Mining Conference, was necessary to strengthen accountability and ensure that Chinese nationals who violate Ghana’s mining laws do not escape further consequences after deportation.
Addressing the China-Ghana Mining Cooperation Conference in Accra on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, Mr Tandoh urged the Chinese government to deepen its cooperation with Ghana’s security and regulatory agencies to operationalise the framework.
He said the proposed dual-enforcement arrangement should ensure that Chinese nationals found culpable of illegal mining face sanctions under Ghanaian law as well as through China’s own mechanisms for regulating the conduct of its citizens abroad.
“This dual-enforcement pathway must be operationalised without delay, so that deportation is not a soft landing but a prelude to accountability,” he said.
Mr Tandoh said the framework should form part of broader cooperation between the two countries to address the involvement of Chinese nationals in illegal mining.
He noted that several Chinese nationals had been arrested during enforcement operations along major rivers, including the Birim and Tano.
Under Ghana’s Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended, small-scale mining licences are reserved exclusively for Ghanaian citizens. Foreign nationals who engage in the activity risk imprisonment of between 20 and 25 years, followed by deportation.
He also called on China to help dismantle the financing and logistics networks supporting illegal mining, noting that some of the equipment, capital and supply chains involved originate outside Ghana.
The Minerals Commission CEO further urged the Association of China-Ghana Mining to promote compliance among its members and report illegal activities rather than protect individuals operating outside the law.
He said Ghana valued its longstanding relationship with China but expected Chinese investments in the mining sector to comply with local laws, create decent jobs and support environmental protection.
