President John Dramani Mahama has announced that the government will take steps to regulate the activities of illegal mining task forces operating across Ghana, following growing reports of harassment and extortion by unregulated groups claiming to fight illegal mining.
The decision comes after the Ashanti Chapter of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM) raised alarm over the conduct of several self-styled task forces that, while purporting to crack down on illegal mining (known locally as galamsey), have allegedly targeted even licensed miners.
Addressing the Council of State at the Jubilee House on Monday, July 7, President Mahama acknowledged the complexity of Ghana’s illegal mining crisis and admitted that the enforcement landscape had become chaotic and counterproductive.
“It is a very complex fight,” the President said. “Just this morning, I had to summon all the stakeholders in the anti-galamsey fight to my office in order that we can streamline their activities. Everybody is running helter-skelter and doing whatever they want.”
President Mahama criticised the rise of “illegal taskforces” exploiting the system and assured that the government was taking urgent steps to restore order and accountability in enforcement operations.
“It has led to the rise of illegal taskforces that are taking advantage of the situation, and so we held a very good meeting and we are streamlining things,” he added.
The President’s remarks signal a turning point in the government’s approach to illegal mining, with a renewed focus on coordination, legality, and protection for small-scale miners who operate within the law.
The announcement has been welcomed by stakeholders in the mining sector, who say the move is long overdue to ensure fairness, safety, and genuine environmental stewardship.
