Civil society organisations have collectively issued a strong press statement condemning comments made by Mr Sammy Gyamfi, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), describing his alleged endorsement of unlicensed mining as highly irresponsible and legal untenable.
The coalition expressed deep alarm over statements indicating that government has granted permission for individuals to mine without holding requisite statutory licences provided they stay away from water bodies, forest reserves, roadsides, or residential homes.
“As Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) committed to Ghana’s sustainable development agenda and actively engaged in the governance of the extractive sector and the gold value chain in particular, we find this statement deeply irresponsible, legally untenable and a recipe for disaster on every front: environmental, social, economic and security.”
Civil society organisations
Expanding on their shared concern, the civil society group argued that validating unpermitted operations severely undermines national regulatory frameworks, environmental sustainability, and institutional credibility.
They noted that authorizing illegal or unmonitored extraction destroys ongoing formalization efforts within the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) subsector.
Furthermore, the coalition emphasized that granting executive leeway to unlicensed operators creates a dangerous precedent that exposes local ecosystems, forest reserves, and host communities to reckless environmental degradation.
Civil Society Rejects Executive Immunity and Calls for Strict ASM Formalization
The joint release issued on October 23, 2026, by environmental and governance watchdogs including A Rocha Ghana, EcoConscious Citizens, Concerned Citizens of Atewa Landscape, and COMPAD firmly rejects any institutional policy that accommodates impunity under the guise of local employment generation.
The coalition asserted that while artisanal and small-scale mining holds immense potential for job creation, economic recovery, and rural livelihood empowerment, such benefits can only be realized through full adherence to legal, environmental, and social standards.
They insisted that bypassing statutory licensing protocols subverts statutory governance systems and compromises the integrity of domestic supply chains.
The leadership of the signatory organisations stressed that allowing unapproved mining operations fundamentally contradicts the statutory mandate of GoldBod itself.
Under Section 3(1)(f) of the Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140), the state institution is explicitly mandated to promote responsible sourcing, enforce supply chain transparency, and ensure total gold traceability across the nation.
By signaling tolerance for unlicensed extraction, GoldBod risks invalidating its own international assurances that its gold-buying licences strictly forbid the acquisition of minerals from illegal sources.
Regulatory Safeguards and Traceability Standards Must Be Upheld
Civil society actors highlighted the urgent necessity of maintaining a rigorous, locally owned, and internationally certified gold traceability system to safeguard Ghana’s reputational standing in the global market.
They cautioned that any mixed messaging from high-ranking sector officials threatens to erode international market confidence and disrupt ongoing regulatory reforms.
A Rocha Ghana’s Deputy National Director, Daryl Bosu, and EcoConscious Citizens Coordinator, Awula Serwaa, reiterated that institutional legitimacy relies entirely on upholding rule of law rather than political expediency.
The watchdogs argued that effective natural resource governance requires strict coordination among regulatory authorities rather than arbitrary policy directives.
Permitting District Chief Executives (DCEs) to register unlicensed mining sites without enforcement of mandatory Environmental Protection Agency permits, Minerals Commission clearance, and parliamentary approval creates severe regulatory loopholes.
The coalition warned that such shortcuts bypass critical environmental impact assessments and human rights compliance checks necessary to prevent long-term ecological catastrophe.
Strategic Alignment Needed to Restore Integrity in Ghana’s Extractive Sector
To prevent systemic failure in the governance of the extractive sector, CSOs urged state actors to align operational directives with existing legislative frameworks.
They reaffirmed their readiness to collaborate constructively with GoldBod, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Minerals Commission, and the National Alternative Employment and Integrated Mining Support (NAIMOS) framework.
However, this collaboration remains contingent upon absolute adherence to legal compliance, environmental protection, and zero tolerance for unlicensed mining.
The signatories concluded that restoring integrity to Ghana’s gold value chain demands immediate, unequivocal retraction of statements that appear to condone illicit mining.
They emphasized that national economic recovery must not be pursued at the expense of ecological stability, public health, and constitutional governance.
Only through uncompromising enforcement of environmental laws and statutory licensing processes can Ghana build a sustainable, traceable, and internationally respected small-scale mining sector that benefits present and future generations.
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