GoldBod Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi has defended his call to formalise eligible unlicensed small-scale miners. He says operators working outside protected forests, water bodies and other environmentally sensitive areas should be given a chance to enter the legal mining sector.
He was responding to criticism of his earlier remarks. Those remarks suggested that unlicensed miners operating outside prohibited areas could be formalised rather than pursued by security personnel.
Mr Gyamfi said the government’s approach should distinguish between miners who can be brought into the formal sector and those whose activities pose serious environmental and public safety risks. He stressed that mining which pollutes water bodies, encroaches on forest reserves or takes place in dangerous locations must not be tolerated.
He said prohibited locations include roadsides, school lands and residential spaces such as bedrooms, where mining could endanger lives and property.
According to Mr Gyamfi, artisanal and small-scale miners working outside prohibited areas could qualify for formalisation under the government’s Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP). The condition is that their operations do not cause environmental harm.
He explained that the programme is designed to move eligible unlicensed miners into the formal sector by providing legal documentation, permits, certifications and training. The aim is to promote responsible mining and improve compliance with regulations governing Ghana’s small-scale mining industry
Mr Gyamfi argued that formalisation offers a way to bring eligible operators under regulatory oversight, rather than relying solely on enforcement against miners working outside the legal framework.
He also rejected the circulation of what he described as an edited version of his earlier comments. He said the footage left out important details about the government’s proposed support for eligible miners.
He said the wider policy includes formalisation, skills development and access to financing to help operators adopt more responsible mining methods. These measures, he said, are expected to support environmental protection, improve accountability and strengthen traceability in small-scale gold mining.
He maintained that his position does not amount to an endorsement of mining in protected areas or of activities that threaten water bodies, forests and communities.
Source: prekehmedia.com– LINK
