The Executive Director of the Extractive Industries Workers Union of Ghana, Victor Asare Gyapong, has expressed concern about the possible effects of the government’s new localisation policy on workers in the mining sector.

Speaking on Channel One Newsroom on Friday, May 1, 2026, Mr Asare Gyapong warned that the policy may have unintended consequences for workers.

“You know how when these companies come to Ghana, and I mean the multinationals, when they come to Ghana, they bring a lot of their men. For example, if it’s coming from America, they bring many Americans. If it comes from China, they bring some Chinese and so on. But they also employ a lot of Ghanaians,” he said.

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The policy, which allows International mining companies to hand over all surface operations to fully Ghanaian-owned contractors, while firms operating underground must ensure at least 50 per cent Ghanaian ownership by 31 December 2026.

It is part of broader efforts by government and regulators, including the Minerals Commission, to increase local participation in the extractive industry. Companies that fail to meet the requirements could face sanctions, such as fines or licence withdrawals.

He further explained that although efforts to promote local ownership have been ongoing, past transitions have not always resulted in better conditions for workers.

“Now, when these multinationals continue to work, at a point in time when this law was actually made, the Minerals Commission and the government started putting pressure on these companies to actually give a portion of their operations to a Ghanaian-owned company,” he noted.

“What we’ve realised over time is that when Ghanaian companies take over portions of these companies, the employees tend to suffer. Now, with whatever they were getting, they get reduced salaries, they get reduced allowances, some of them are put on redundancy,” he added.

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