Co-chair of the Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GHEITI), Dr. Steve Manteaw, has criticized President John Dramani Mahama for portraying illegal small-scale gold mining (galamsey) as a net economic benefit while glossing over its devastating national costs.
President Mahama, in the latest media encounter, did not rule out the possibility that gold from illegal mining sources has contributed to the high gold exports and hence forex earnings.
According to him, granted gold from galamsey found its way to the mainstream and was exported by the GoldBod, he justified that the gold was still mined on our land, and the country has to maximize the benefits.
Dr. Manteaw, a long-time advocate of responsible mineral governance, said the President’s latest remarks on galamsey focus narrowly on the benefits of increased gold output without accounting much for the massive environmental, social, and economic damages associated with the practice.
He notes that the remark of President Mahama, “focuses more on the benefit side of the equation, than the cost side i.e. how much it costs the country in environmental damage, food security, health implications, water scarcity, and remediation, to generate the $6 billion being reported as returns on our small-scale gold exports.”
He adds that the President’s framing not only undermines the government’s own electoral pledge to fight galamsey but also flies in the face of international standards on responsible mineral sourcing.
Dr. Manteaw warned that Ghana’s credibility in the global gold market risks being eroded, as the OECD guidelines require member and partner countries to demonstrate due diligence in curbing irresponsible sourcing of minerals.
He adds that, “It does not keep faith with the NDC’s electoral pledge. It’s at variance with the OECD guidelines on responsible mineral sourcing and therefore rules Ghana out of mainstream gold markets.”
For him, by failing to acknowledge the full weight and the severity of the costs and overlooking responsible supply chain practices, we risk being blacklisted by mainstream gold markets that increasingly demand accountability and sustainability.
It could be suggested that the government is torn between whether to prioritize short-term economic gains from artisanal gold mining or take tougher, systemic steps to address the environmental and social costs of the industry.
With galamsey-linked pollution threatening major water bodies, farmland degradation undermining food security, and mercury use endangering public health, experts warn that the long-term costs could far outweigh the immediate financial benefits celebrated by policymakers.
From the insights expressed by Dr. Manteaw, it could be deduced that there is a kind of tension between output-driven growth and drastic measures to curb the menace, at a time, it appears the government is benefiting from illegal mining.
