By Emmanuel Bamfo 
Serious tension is brewing in Ghana’s mining sector after leadership of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners exposed a widespread extortion scheme. The National Secretary of the association dropped heavy allegations pointing fingers at security personnel and local government institutions.
According to the executive, rogue officers from the Ghana Police Service and various anti-galamsey task forces routinely storm mining concessions to collect bribe payments. Honest workers trying to make a decent living are now suffering under constant harassment from those tasked to uphold the law.
The National Secretary revealed that several security officers deploy onto sites without valid operational orders. Instead of protecting concessions and targeting illegal operations in red zones, these officers focus on extorting cash from hardworking miners.
In many instances, task force operatives threaten site workers with immediate arrest or unlawful equipment confiscation if workers refuse to pay. This continuous intimidation leaves legal operators feeling unsafe on their own legitimate mining properties.
The allegations extend beyond security forces directly into local governance structures across mining districts. The association confirmed that certain District Assemblies regularly demand fixed monthly payments from small-scale mining operations.
Assembly officials label these illegal demands as special local levies without providing official government receipts or statutory clearance documents. This double taxation drains the financial resources of small businesses while lining private pockets.
The leadership of the Small-Scale Miners Association emphasizes that these corrupt practices undermine national efforts to formalize the gold mining sector. They warned that if government fails to check these rogue task forces, legal operators may suspend operations entirely in protest.
The miners are calling on the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Police Administration to investigate these allegations swiftly. Cleaning up security task forces remains essential to ensure sustainable mining operations and protect national revenue.
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Source: Ghana News Page