You can mine with or without a licence… – Sammy Gyamfi opens the floodgate for galamseyers

According to Sammy Gyamfi, miners can now mine with or without a licence provided they are not mining in water bodies, forest reserves, or close to a road.

In a video shared on X, Sammy Gyamfi disclosed that all District Chief Executives (DCEs) had been tasked with compiling lists of areas where mining activities were currently taking place.

Sammy Gyamfi explained that the Mahama government’s approach is to allow mining in areas outside the restricted locations, regardless of whether the operators held licences.

Speaking at an event, Sammy Gyamfi, in a video shared on X, stated, “As we speak, all DCEs have been tasked to make a list of areas where miners are working. Places miners are working: once it is not a water body, it is not a forest reserve, or a roadside; whether the person has a license or not, the government says that person should be allowed to mine”.

Sammy Gyamfi’s video comes at a time Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority leader, has once again insisted that the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) is encouraging activities of illegal mining commonly known as galamsey.

The minority leader raised concerns about the structure of GoldBod, stressing that the current system does not sufficiently distinguish legally mined gold from gold linked to galamsey.

Afenyo-Markin queried the regulatory framework governing GoldBod and gold aggregators, raising an alarm that the absence of clear distinctions could create incentives for galamsey.

Speaking during an engagement with the Christian Council, Afenyo-Markin stated, “The way GoldBod has been structured, it is rather encouraging the illegal mining activities we have in our country. Because you see, currently GoldBod does not have a regulation that draws a distinction between regularly mined gold and galamsey gold.

So it is like whatever the aggregators bring, we will buy. But are there some regulations to guide aggregators? Now, everybody is mining. Galamsey has gotten out of hand,” he said.

“If we are not careful, Atewa forest will not be there for us again,” he cautioned.

“I once chaired the Ghana Water Limited Board. The report coming from Ghana Water is that not only is it becoming more expensive to treat the water, but the extent of contamination of our water bodies is such that some treatment plant cannot even function,” he said.

Also, Henry Nana Boakye, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has said the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) is now responsible for the galamsey menace causing havoc on the environment.

According to the NPP, GoldBod is unable to adequately distinguish between gold sourced from licensed mining operations and gold produced through illegal mining.

He argued that GoldBod’s gold purchasing system has created loopholes which have allowed gold produced through illegal mining activities to enter the formal gold trading chain.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, NPP National Organiser Henry Nana Boakye stated, “GoldBod, I can tell you now, is the cause of the environmental destruction we are seeing. They are now responsible for galamsey”.

“If GoldBod is not buying galamsey gold, then who is?” he questioned, insisting that the authorities must provide clear answers on how gold purchased by the state-owned institution is sourced and verified.

Nana Boakye further criticised what he described as repeated assurances that systems were being developed to address the problem of gold traceability.

You can now mine without a license provided it isn’t near a water body or a road side Sammy Gyamfi Reset indeed https://t.co/DBWKOA4oCH