GoldBod Plans to Complete Formalization and Licensing of Eligible Small-Scale Miners Within Six Months

Sammy Gyamfi, CEO of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), announced that the government will officially launch the "Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme" (rCOMSDEP), aiming to register eligible informal small-scale miners into cooperatives and complete their full formalization and licensing within six months. The programme has received cabinet approval and is backed by the Minerals and Mining Act amendment bill currently under parliamentary review, representing the government's latest attempt to include the artisanal and small-scale mining sector—long in a gray area—into a regulated framework.

According to details disclosed by Gyamfi on October 31, 2026, the programme will organize miners through the Department of Cooperatives to establish cooperatives and provide training in sustainable mining practices, mercury-free processing techniques, land reclamation, and environmentally friendly mining methods. Registered cooperatives will be assigned to mineral-rich areas approved by the Minerals Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Water Resources Commission, and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.

Eligibility Restrictions and Background

Gyamfi emphasized that eligibility is strictly limited: miners operating in areas already covered by existing mineral rights, or where mining activities may adversely affect water bodies, forest reserves, or communities, will not qualify for registration. This criterion responds to widespread criticism of the programme's direction. In late October 2026, Gyamfi was accused by the minority in Parliament of "endorsing illegal mining" and was called upon to resign. The controversy stemmed from a video that had been edited out of context. GoldBod subsequently issued a statement clarifying that Gyamfi's original intent was to distinguish between "legitimizing illegal mining" and "providing a pathway to compliance for eligible informal miners"—the government's policy objective is to end illegality, not to legitimize it.

The rCOMSDEP programme is not entirely new. As early as March 2026, the programme had already launched a nationwide registration initiative, following a pilot phase in the Western and Western North regions. In October 2026, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources held a regional launch event in Ahanta West and Mpohor Fiase in the Western Region, with Deputy Minister Yusif Sulemana present. The announcement by the GoldBod CEO is regarded as a key step in elevating the programme to a core priority of the institution.

Institutional Background and Complementary Measures

GoldBod was established in April 2025 under the Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140). It initially served as a gold purchasing agent for the Bank of Ghana and transitioned to self-funded gold aggregation in March 2026. The institution's core mandate includes purchasing, selling, assay testing, refining, and exporting gold, while promoting traceability in the gold supply chain. In January 2026, GoldBod announced a gold traceability pilot programme involving approximately 600 artisanal and small-scale mining operations. The formalization of cooperatives under rCOMSDEP will provide GoldBod with a verifiable database of miners—a crucial foundation for establishing a legal gold procurement channel.

At the enforcement level, the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has been conducting military-style crackdowns since June 2026. As of late September, over 1,900 "changfan" machines have been destroyed, more than 100 excavators seized, and hundreds of suspects arrested. Gyamfi stated that rCOMSDEP is intended to complement NAIMOS's enforcement actions, forming a dual-track approach of "cracking down on illegality + absorbing those eligible for compliance."

Legislative and Regional Experience References

The programme's legal foundation is provided by the Minerals and Mining Act amendment bill currently before Parliament. The bill, which has received cabinet approval, proposes establishing district mining committees as the first instance for licensing, introducing a medium-scale mining category, and abolishing reconnaissance licenses in favor of a single five-year prospecting license. Once passed, the licensing pathway for formalized cooperatives will be further clarified.

Gyamfi cited the formalization experiences of Colombia, Mongolia, Peru, and Tanzania, arguing that Ghana can draw lessons from these countries. He stated: "Properly organized artisanal and small-scale mining is one of the clearest pathways from mineral ownership in law to indigenous ownership in practice." This statement responds to a long-standing structural problem in Ghana's mining industry—although the law stipulates that mineral resources belong to the state, indigenous participation has long remained at the labor and subcontracting levels, while actual control and equity are concentrated in the hands of foreign capital and political elites.

Outlook and Risks

The core risk of the six-month formalization timeline lies in execution capacity. rCOMSDEP involves multiple agencies including the Department of Cooperatives, the Minerals Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Water Resources Commission, and coordination costs should not be underestimated. Additionally, the cooperatives themselves require effective governance structures—otherwise, "cooperatives" could become vehicles for powerful individuals to capture concessions. The government has not yet disclosed specific training funding sources or post-licensing monitoring mechanisms.

Another point of contention is whether formalization will create a "backdoor" for illegal mining. While the minority in Parliament's calls for Gyamfi's resignation have not succeeded, the political sensitivity of this issue remains high. The government must demonstrate in the coming months that the programme will genuinely bring miners into compliance and environmental standards, rather than providing cover for destructive mining activities.