Researchers from Canada and Ghana have called on the Ghanaian government to provide Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) with adequate funding, legal authority and operational support to strengthen the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey. A new study by Globe and Systems Consulting (Canada) and SysGlo Solutions Ghana Limited, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Ghana and two Canadian universities, warns that assigning district assemblies greater responsibility for monitoring and controlling illegal mining without the necessary institutional and financial backing could undermine efforts to address the menace.
The study argues that district assemblies are better positioned to monitor mining activities because of their proximity to affected communities. National regulatory institutions, including the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), cannot effectively monitor the hundreds of scattered and constantly changing mining sites across the country without the active involvement of local authorities. District assemblies have daily access to mining communities and possess local knowledge and legal authority over land use and development, making them critical partners in mining monitoring and enforcement.
The findings come amid renewed calls for MMDCEs to assume greater responsibility in the fight against illegal small-scale mining, following the maiden National Conference of MMDCEs on Illegal Small-Scale Mining, held in Kumasi on November 2. At the conference, the chief executives were tasked with supporting operations by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat, promoting cooperative mining, prioritising land reclamation and establishing district-level anti-illegal-mining coordination mechanisms.
However, the researchers cautioned that these responsibilities would be difficult to discharge without clearly defined mandates, dedicated budgets and effective accountability structures. The study found that although some district assemblies already monitor mining sites, respond to complaints, support enforcement operations and undertake reclamation activities, much of the work is conducted informally. The absence of specific legal mandates, standard operating procedures, mandatory reporting requirements and dedicated budgets are major weaknesses in district-level mining governance.
In some districts, task forces have undertaken activities including registering and mapping mining operations, removing miners from river bodies and enforcing land reclamation. However, the effectiveness of such interventions often depends on the personal commitment of individual District Chief Executives rather than established institutional arrangements. The study also raised concerns about alleged complicity, irregular fee collection and political interference in some districts, warning that weak monitoring systems make it difficult to assess the performance of assemblies.
Lead Researcher, Dr John Boakye-Danquah, said assigning responsibility to local authorities without establishing the necessary governance structures would not produce the desired results. He stressed that mining is local, so the lead in enforcement and monitoring should also be local. Prof Yaw Agyeman Boafo, of the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Studies at the University of Ghana, also emphasised the importance of transparency and accountability in district-level mining governance.
The researchers recommended a dedicated funding arrangement for district mining oversight, alongside clearly defined responsibilities for assemblies in monitoring, registration, licensing support, community engagement, reclamation and enforcement. They also proposed that national regulators and security agencies be formally required to collaborate with district assemblies through joint inspections, information sharing and coordinated enforcement activities.
Key points
- District assemblies need clear rules, digital records and independent oversight.
- A rapid national assessment of district mining governance is necessary.
- Repeated military and security operations alone will not provide a lasting solution to illegal mining.
