Small-Scale Miners Decry Equipment Seizures, Call for Government Reform

The National Concerned Small Scale Miners Association of Ghana has raised alarm over what it describes as increasing harassment and unfair treatment of its members in mining communities across the country.

Speaking at a press conference in Kumasi, the Association’s National President, Mr. Kwadwo Peprah, accused the current administration of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of targeting licensed small-scale miners through the activities of its anti-galamsey taskforce. He alleged that taskforce members have seized and destroyed excavators and other equipment, sometimes from miners’ homes, even when the machinery was not in use.

Mr. Peprah emphasized the importance of small-scale mining to the national economy, revealing that the sector contributed over 150 tonnes of gold in 2024 and is expected to do even more in 2025. He urged the government to treat players in the sector with fairness and adhere to the rule of law, warning that the current strategy mirrors the ineffective anti-galamsey efforts of the previous NPP government.

He reminded the NDC of its 2024 campaign pledge to support small-scale miners with technology and training, calling on the government to implement reforms that promote responsible, legal, and environmentally sustainable mining. “We are not asking for immunity for illegal operations,” Mr. Peprah stated. “We simply want reforms that allow us to work lawfully and contribute meaningfully to Ghana’s development.”