The Ghana Chamber of Mines has called for urgent reforms to Ghana’s gold traceability system, warning that weak monitoring mechanisms could allow gold from illegal mining operations to enter the formal market.
Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber, Ken Ashigbey, said the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) must strengthen its traceability framework to ensure that illegally sourced gold is identified and excluded from legitimate trading channels.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, August 6, Mr Ashigbey said improving traceability was a critical component of the fight against illegal mining.
“I think it’s also taking too long for us to get our traceability sorted out at home. Hoping that the Gold Board will work on that so that gold that is from illegal sources is not purchased,” he said.
He argued that an effective traceability system would help protect the integrity of Ghana’s gold industry and make it more difficult for illegal miners to profit from unlawful activities.
Mr Ashigbey also raised concerns about what he described as insufficient logistical and financial support for the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, saying the ministry needed greater resources to effectively combat illegal mining.
According to him, efforts by state agencies to address the problem would remain limited unless the ministry was adequately equipped to carry out enforcement and monitoring activities.
“We really are not seeing the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources getting the amount of resources it needs to be able to do what it has to do. That is not happening, and it is something we really need to look into if we want to deal with the problem,” he stated.
The Chamber of Mines CEO further called for stronger enforcement against individuals involved in illegal mining, insisting that the absence of visible sanctions weakened deterrence efforts.
“We cannot allow people to be clearly involved in illegal mining and nothing seems to happen to them. The time has come for the media to also put out some of these names and ask what is happening to these people, so that everyone knows there are repercussions for doing the wrong thing,” he added.
Mr Ashigbey urged authorities to ensure that legitimate mining companies could continue operating responsibly while intensifying efforts to protect water bodies, forests and other natural resources from the environmental damage caused by illegal mining.
His remarks come amid renewed national discussions on illegal mining and its impact on Ghana’s environment, water resources and the long-term sustainability of the country’s mining sector.
