The Movement for Change has called for an immediate halt to all small-scale and artisanal mining activities in Ghana, unveiling a comprehensive Ten-Point Action Plan aimed at tackling illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
The call follows the tragic incident of Wednesday, August 6, 2025, which claimed the lives of eight men, a development the movement described as a stark reminder of the existential threat galamsey poses to the nation.
In a statement signed by Solomon Owusu, Director of Communications and Spokesperson, the group urged government to demonstrate strong political will in ending the menace once and for all.
1. The plan calls on government to, by Executive Instrument, ban all small-scale and artisanal mining activities whether legal or illegal for a one-year period.
2. It also urges Parliament to suspend Legislative Instrument (LI) 2462 under a Certificate of Urgency to stop further permits for mining in forest reserves.
3. Another proposal is the revocation of all small-scale and community mining licenses issued in the last 15 years, followed by a comprehensive audit conducted by a task force made up of Goldbod, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Water Resources Commission, and the Minerals Commission.
4. The plan further recommends that new mining licenses should only be issued after the audit, and with the consent of traditional authorities in the relevant mining areas.
5. It calls for the demobilization of all machinery and earth-moving equipment currently being used at mining sites, which should be inventorized and preserved by the 48 Engineer’s Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces.
6. The movement also proposes a national land restoration programme to reclaim degraded sites within the one-year ban period. Young people previously engaged in galamsey would be employed under this programme, led by the Forestry Commission with technical support from the Forestry Research Institute of CSIR.
7. In addition, it calls for a river restoration initiative jointly managed by the Water Resources Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency, with technical input from the Water Research Institute of CSIR, to restore polluted river bodies.
8. The plan recommends new legislation to permanently ban mining in river bodies and forest reserves, with life imprisonment as the punishment for violators.
9. Another proposal is the creation of a Youth in Responsible Mining Initiative to help former galamsey operators set up youth-owned, government-supported mining companies with access to licenses, equipment, and off-taker agreements from Goldbod.
10. Finally, the movement calls for the establishment of Citizens Mining Protection Rights Groups in mining communities to act as watchdogs for responsible mining practices.
The statement stressed that these measures, which form part of the Movement for Change’s Great Transformational Plan (GTP), are designed not only to eradicate galamsey but also to restore Ghana’s environment and create alternative livelihoods for the youth.
Read the full statement below:
