President John Dramani Mahama has pledged to crack down on illegal mining task forces operating across the country.

According to him, these groups and individuals have worsened the issue of illegal mining in various parts of Ghana.

His comments follow growing concerns raised by the Ashanti Regional Chapter of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners regarding the activities of so-called task forces that claim to be combating galamsey but are instead harassing and extorting licensed miners while operating without clear legal authority.

Speaking during a meeting with the Council of State and key stakeholders on July 7, 2025, the president reaffirmed his government’s commitment to fighting illegal mining.

“I know there are many issues we need to address. One is illegal mining, which is a very complex challenge. I’m sure the Minister of Lands has briefed you on it. It’s not an easy fight. Just this morning, I had to summon all stakeholders involved in the anti-galamsey campaign to my office so we could streamline their activities, as everyone is acting independently and without coordination.

“This has led to the emergence of illegal task forces taking advantage of the situation. Fortunately, we had a productive meeting, and we are now working to streamline operations,” he said.

In a related development, the President is expected to inaugurate a Goldbod Task Force at a ceremony in Accra today.

According to Goldbod, the task force will be responsible for clamping down on illegal gold trading and curbing price disruptions in the gold market.

SSD/MA

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