Trustee of Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey, Senyo Hosi, has defended the establishment of the Gold Board as a necessary construct to stabilise Ghana’s mining sector, warning that without it, the country risks setbacks across environmental, legal, and trade fronts.
According to him, the absence of a strong regulatory structure would expose Ghana to severe environmental externalities, weaken law enforcement, and distort the gold trade.
“It has helped create a balance in the laws. Otherwise, we’ll be losing on environmental externalities, legal enforcement, and trade,” he stated in an interview on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday.
He stressed that the Gold Board policy must be sustained, describing it as a critical intervention that should not be abandoned.
However, Mr. Hosi expressed concern over the limited progress made in tackling illegal mining (galamsey), despite ongoing engagements between government and stakeholders.
He revealed that civil society organisations (CSOs) had anticipated a stronger outcome from a high-level meeting at Jubilee House, which was expected to produce a clear and actionable framework to address the crisis.
While acknowledging productive engagement with the Lands Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, he noted that overall progress has been inadequate. “We don’t think we’ve got the best out of that engagement,” he said.
Mr. Hosi highlighted the economic realities driving illegal mining, noting that many young people involved earn significant weekly incomes—making enforcement efforts alone ineffective.
“People earning about GH¢3,000 a week are unlikely to give that up easily, even in the face of military intervention,” he explained.
He also backed the President’s assertion that some communities are resisting government efforts to clamp down on illegal mining, describing it as a reflection of deeper socio-economic pressures.
According to him, Ghana may have missed a critical opportunity to address the issue in earlier years, and current political constraints continue to complicate the fight.
Senyo Hosi is therefore calling for a shift in approach—one that goes beyond enforcement to address the underlying economic incentives sustaining illegal mining.
Myjoyonline
