Senyo Hosi, convener of the OneGhana Movement and trustee of the Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey, has warned that Ghana must face the harsh reality that illegal mining (galamsey) cannot be eliminated and has called for a move toward regulation, technology, and realistic policy solutions.
According to him, attempts to eradicate galamsey completely are impossible due to the strong economic and political forces supporting it.
“We must accept the fact that galamsey is not going anywhere.” That is what I see. We must find a way to address the externalities surrounding that,” he said in an interview on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, March 21.
He emphasised that the business has grown increasingly ingrained in Ghana’s socioeconomic system, supporting thousands of people while also contributing to political funding and overall economic stability.
Mr Hosi stated that even the government has a problem, since decreasing gold output may have macroeconomic ramifications.
“When gold production falls, you have macroeconomic issues.” “Actors are also funding politicians in this space,” he said.
Shift From Elimination to Control
Instead of continual crackdowns, Mr Hosi is advocating for a strategic shift that focuses on regulating and formalising the market. He claimed that the existing strategy is doomed to failure because it overlooks the financial factors that encourage people to engage in illegal mining.
“There is no turning back. How do we rationalise what is happening?”
Low Recovery, High Losses
One major issue he highlighted was the inefficiency of existing small-scale mining practices. According to him, galamsey operations only recover around 30% of the gold, indicating that the nation is missing out on considerable worth from its natural resources. In comparison, large-scale mining operations have a recovery rate of 85% to 95%.
Technology is the game changer.
Mr Hosi feels that technology is the key to changing the business. He advocated using current mining technology to enhance recovery rates, minimise environmental harm, and boost state revenue.
“Can we use technology to remedy the losses and bring us closer to large-scale recovery levels?” he asked.
Formalisation Over Criminalisation.
Beyond technology, he advocates for the complete legalisation of artisan and small-scale mining (ASM). This would include ensuring that operators comply with legislation, offering structured support and monitoring, and incorporating them into the official economy.
According to him, this strategy allows the government to keep control while safeguarding people’s livelihoods. “Let it be fully compliant, supported by technology, so government can guide the industry while individuals do it properly,” he said.
Environmental issues are still important.
While agreeing that technologies like water-cleaning technologies might help, Mr Hosi underlined that they are insufficient on their own. He stated that damaging activities, such as the usage of deadly chemicals, must be better regulated rather than disregarded.
A Call for Policy Realism
Mr Hosi concluded that Ghana must forsake naive approaches and embrace realistic, balanced tactics that reflect actual on-the-ground realities. “Technology and policy must be combined to address this. ” Doing nothing will not help anyone,” he said.
Source: JoyNews
