Former Deputy Minister of Finance, Abena Osei-Asare, is calling for a bold, fully-funded emergency programme to tackle Ghana’s illegal mining (galamsey) crisis, warning that current efforts are under-resourced and lack coherence.
Contributing to debate in Parliament on Tuesday, 18 November 2025, she questioned the impact of ongoing anti-galamsey initiatives, citing recent remarks by President John Dramani Mahama that a significantly larger budget is needed to make meaningful progress in the fight against illegal mining.
Abena Osei-Asare argued that the state’s current response does not match the scale of the problem, lacking both the financial strength and strategic depth required.
She further criticised the tendency to frame galamsey purely as a security or environmental issue without adequately addressing the livelihoods of those involved. She demanded proof of real, viable alternative income sources for the thousands of Ghanaians who depend on small-scale mining for survival.
“This cannot just be about chasing people from sites,” she stressed, warning that any crackdown that fails to provide alternatives will be short-lived and socially destabilising.
To this end, she proposed the creation of a dedicated Galamsey Emergency Programme with robust, sustainable financing and a comprehensive design. The programme, she suggested, should go beyond shutting down illegal operations and incorporate:
Structured alternative livelihood programmes for affected miners and communities
Strengthened regulatory and enforcement systems to deter illegal activity
Environmental restoration initiatives to reclaim degraded lands and polluted water bodies
Abena Osei-Asare maintained that only a coordinated, well-resourced emergency response can achieve lasting success against galamsey while safeguarding both Ghana’s natural environment and its vulnerable communities.
